A New Enemy
by Voice in the Night
Summary: Fox and Krystal begin to realize that their feelings for each other go deeper than either of them first thought, but before they can act on them, an old rival teams up with a new foe to cause big trouble. Will new allies provide the help they need? R&R!
1. Chapter I: New Beginnings

Krystal sat at her computer, staring blankly at the screen as her fingers twirled through her violet hair. She was supposed to be working on some project or another—but she couldn't keep her mind on her work. No matter what she did, he kept running through her head. She loved him, of that she was completely certain. The question then, was, did he love her, as well? She had never been able to work up the courage to ask him—until today.

'Fox is going to get off duty in about ten minutes,' Krystal thought. 'I can make it to his quarters by then.' Pushing up from her chair, Krystal walked out of her quarters and made her way through the corridors of the Great Fox. As she came closer to Fox's quarters, she could almost feel her confidence waning and the jittery nerves causing her to fidget. What would she say? How would he react? Fox had never shown much emotion towards anyone—only the general compassion of close friends and teammates—always keeping his mind on his duty. But two times Krystal had seen chinks in his armor: Right after they had met on Sauria, and again, on the return to the planet after the fight with the Aparoids there.

Krystal was so lost in her thoughts she almost walked right by the door that was the entrance to Fox's quarters. Stopping with a jerk, Krystal turned to face the door. 'Well, this is it,' she thought. 'No turning back now.' Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Krystal brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, and then pushed her palm against a panel to the side of the door. A small chime sounded within the room, followed shortly thereafter by a familiar tenor voice calling, "Come in."

The door hissed open and Fox smoothly spun around in his chair to face the door. With a tablet in his hand, he hadn't noticed the identity of his guest. "So, what's going—" his voice trailed off as he looked up and realized that it was Krystal. "—on?" Almost instantly, there was a transition in his voice, and his mouth curved slightly in a half-smile. "Hi, Krystal. Ya know, it's funny," Fox remarked, "I was just thinkin' about you." Realizing that his comment had caught Krystal off-guard, he ducked his head abashedly, trying furiously to prevent his cheeks from betraying him. "Uh—come in, sit down," he managed to stammer out. 'What if she catches on?' he thought. He was sure that his emotions were tattooed across his face whenever she came near. It was equal parts frustrating and exhilarating—but did she feel the same way?

As Fox spun back around to work on his screen, Krystal walked over to him and peered over his shoulder. "What're you working on?" she asked.

A groan slipped from Fox's muzzle as he rolled his eyes. "Slippy wants me to run sims on the new engine designs—see how they'll impact the Arwing's performance."

Krystal giggled softly. "You sound like you're having fun!"

Fox loved hearing Krystal laugh—and her laugh distracted him from the witty reply he was cooking up for her comment. But suddenly he had no time for any type of reply as the Great Fox suddenly rocked sideways, throwing him and Krystal off-balance. As Krystal began to fall, Fox's instincts kicked in and he smoothly caught Krystal in his lap. "Whoa! I gotcha!" he exclaimed.

Krystal looked up at him and smiled a little. "Thanks, Fox," she murmured.

"Uh—sure. No problem," Fox replied as he righted Krystal. Suddenly frowning, he flipped open his communicator and keyed in the bridge channel. "ROB, what's going on up there?"

"Rob's actually in the engine room, sir," came a reply from a Lylatian lieutenant. "The Great Fox is entering an asteroid field. Fortunately, there will be minimal damage from impact."

Fox nodded and saluted the lieutenant, then closed the channel. "That's good that she'll be in one piece," he murmured. "I'd hate to see her damaged after all she's gotten us through…"

The Great Fox had been rebuilt after the Aparoid invasion. A fairly large chunk of Cornerian coin had gone towards its reconstruction. However, as the Star Fox team had once again proven to be unparalleled defenders of the Lylat system, the Cornerian people were happy to oblige. Fox patted a bulkhead affectionately, then looked over at Krystal, who was sitting on his bed. "Was there something you wanted to say to me?" he asked.

Krystal laughed softly. "Now who's the telepath?"

Fox smiled and shrugged slightly. "I could just sense you watching me…I don't need to have ESP to know there's something on your mind…"

Krystal ducked her head, a shade of pink coming to color her cheeks. "Well—yes," she murmured after a moment. "There is something I've been meaning to tell you—for quite some time, actually…"

Fox sat down next to her on the bed. "What is it, Krys? You okay?"

Krystal's blush deepened. Fox hadn't called her Krys since—well—that quick kiss he had given her right after they met. Things had finally calmed down—Andross was gone, Scales was gone, and it was just the two of them on the bridge. "Now that we're alone," he had said, "I think it's time that I give you your due." And then he had kissed her.

"What was that for?" she had asked.

"For essentially saving my life," was his reply. "I'd've been dead without your staff, and your help in destroying Andross. Thanks, Krys."

She had written it off at the time as just extreme relief that all the good guys had gotten out in one piece. She didn't believe in the stories—love at first sight was a fantasy—but now she wasn't so sure of that anymore.

Bringing her thoughts back to the present, she smiled, nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine, Fox. It's just…I wanted to say that—"

Fox curiously wondered what had Krystal so flustered. He liked her—to be sure. Well, it was stronger than like—but he didn't know if he should use "the big L word" just yet. He wasn't even sure if she liked him at all. Besides, what could Krystal possibly see in him, anyway? A cocky merc pilot who was always flying around the galaxy risking his neck wouldn't exactly make for a sterling boyfriend.

At that moment, both Fox and Krystal were jolted from their thoughts as Fox's communicator beeped. Fox grit his teeth to hold back a frustrated sound. "Perfect timing," he muttered. He activated it to find the implacable face of ROB on-screen. "Yes, ROB?" Fox asked.

"General Pepper has contacted us with an urgent message," was the monotone reply. "You are needed on the bridge right away."

"All right, I'll be right there," said Fox as he closed the comlink. Fox sighed, and looked over at Krystal as if to apologize for the interruption. "What was it you wanted to say?" he asked.

Krystal waved off Fox's question. "I-It's nothing. I'll tell you later."

Fox watched her leave, mystified. 'She had made it sound like whatever she was going to tell me was pretty important. It's not like Krys to want to tell me something, and then completely blow it off…I wonder what's got her so jittery?'

Krystal anxiously paced down the hall, chastising herself as she walked. 'Dammit, Krystal! Why did you have to be such a coward? Why couldn't you just tell him?' Before she had even asked the question of herself she knew the answer, distasteful though it was. 'Because, if he doesn't feel the same way, we'd both be in a rather embarrassing fix.'

Fox and Krystal arrived on the bridge, and were greeted by the holographic visage of General Pepper, and a sly smirk from Falco. Fox ignored Falco, instead turning to face the general. "Sir! Fox McCloud reporting, sir. What is it? Is Corneria under attack?"

"Whatever the threat, we'll take it down!" exclaimed Slippy, driving his fist into his palm.

"No, Corneria is not under attack, thankfully," replied Pepper. "However, there is a threat I need you to address, from an enemy you have faced before. Sources say that General Scales is plotting an assault on the Lylat system!"

Fox gasped, and the entire room went dead. "B-but that's impossible!" Fox stammered. "I killed him! I saw him die!"

"Hmm…apparently, he wasn't quite as dead as you thought," replied Pepper dryly. "No matter, given the penchant you have for enemies that seem to resurrect themselves on command, this should be no different. The fact remains that Scales is alive, and he is building a base on Rellonai."

Peppy stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Hmm…Rellonai? That's a small forested world not far from here. That's much too close to Corneria. We have to stop him, or he could destroy everything!"

General Pepper nodded. "Your orders are to investigate the base, attack if possible, and call for backup if necessary. Understood?"

Fox snapped a salute. "We'll be on it right away, sir!"

"Very good, Pepper out."

When the hologram of General Pepper faded from view, Fox turned to face the rest of the bridge's populace. Not only did the Great Fox get a facelift after the Aparoid war, but some of Corneria's best and brightest volunteered to serve on the unofficial flagship of the fleet. "You heard the general," Fox said. "This is a high-priority mission, so there can be no margin for error. Is everybody ready?"

"Yes sir!" was the simultaneous response.

"All right then, let's hit it!"

The Great Fox powered up its massive engines and soared into hyperspace, bound for Rellonai.


	2. Chapter II: Heroes

In another part of the sector, a different team of heroes was also bound for the planet Rellonai, but to purge the influence of a villain named Adek. The _Iri Felessar_, or Crystal Guardians, as they were called, were made up of psionic warriors from across the galaxy. Their leader, Taylor Daniels, had been chosen by the Crystal of the _Jelet'ráel_ to lead the _Iri Felessar_, and discovered his true identity was Altairian; his true name; Lirren. He eventually acclimated to this role, and had led the Guardians to victory against a maniacal madman named J'den. Now, however, a new evil had arisen to threaten the Guardians.

Adek had psionic powers that were nearly equal in strength to the Guardians', however, he had twisted them to suit his own evil intentions. Now, the Tivernessian was attempting to gain a foothold within a nearby sector, by building a base on this previously-unimportant forested world.

"Hey, Taylor, come look at this." A voice behind Taylor brought him out of his thoughts. Pushing himself out of the command chair on the bridge of the _Cat's Eye_, Taylor walked around to an elevated console and joined Jacen Jaraía, his second-in-command, who was staring with puzzlement at one of the many holographic screens around the bridge. This screen in particular displayed the strangest star system either one of the two warriors had ever seen. It was clearly a binary system—two stars orbited one another, with the larger blue star anchoring the smaller red star that swung around it. That in and of itself was not all that unusual, however, what caught the warriors' eye was the fact that within the orbit of the binary star system spun an entire solar system of planets. Usually, binary systems rotated so tightly that any planets that formed around them would rotate outside both of the stars, or, if there was matter in between the stars, it would be torn apart by tidal forces between the two stellar masses. However, in a seeming contradiction of physics, Taylor counted at least 10 planets showing up on the scanner.

"Am I reading this right?" Taylor asked. "Are _all_ these planets," he ticked off several with his fingertip, "within the life-zone? How is that possible?"

Jacen ran a hand through his blond hair and shook his head. "It shouldn't be…but then again, a system like this shouldn't even exist. How many planets are between the two stars…1, 2, 3, 4, and an asteroid belt. A big one, too," he mused. "I'm not sure how that red dwarf hasn't cooled into a planet, or vaporized the surrounding ones…or how that big green giant is the outer planet, either," he said finally. "Its own gravity should send it out of orbit."

Jacen's twin sister, Lirá, joined the two men peering over the screen, and shrugged dismissively. "Whether it _should_ exist or not is a moot point. It does exist. However, Rellonai isn't in this system, so it's not going to be our destination today. We go take care of Adek. Then we can come back and investigate this extraplanetary oddity."

Taylor nodded. "All right. Then to Rellonai it is. Let's stop Adek before he gets any sort of operations going on the planet. If he gets entrenched, it's only a puddle-jump from there to Altair, and that's not good."

"Well, thank you for stating the obvious." K'siin Mesehk retorted, turning around to look at Taylor from his post on the bridge, the fiery Rigellian being particularly acerbic.

Taylor opened his mouth to reply, but K'siin's brother, Riidar beat him to it. "Bro, cut it out! What is your problem today?"

K'siin suddenly became very interested in his control panel. "I dunno," he muttered, shrugging noncommittally. "Guess all these 'morphs being on-ship have just got me on edge, that's all."

Switching to his native Rigellian, Riidar pulled K'siin aside. "Look," he said. "We're not going to have any more problems with this, are we? You _swore_ to me you left the _Rii'lar_ in you back on Rigel. This battlecruiser is the first of its kind—with a complete alliance of humans and 'morph, and this is our first mission out. Nobody wants to see it all go south because of someone, on either side," he added, "with a chip on their shoulder."

K'siin grit his teeth, clenched his fists, and sighed heavily. "All right. For the good of the team, and the Alliance, I'll make this work. I just don't understand how you can be so glib about things when one of…_them_…could be the one that killed Mom and Dad."

In a rare moment, Riidar's brows darkened angrily. "I'm not," he murmured low. "We _will_ find the _fiirges_ responsible, and when we do…" he trailed off. "But now is not the time for that. Now, we all have to work together to ensure the success of this battleship, this mission, and the Alliance. When this mission is over, then we can re-shuffle our priorities. All right?"

K'siin nodded. "Okay."

Riidar turned and walked back to his post, K'siin following close behind. Taylor, now seated in the command chair again, asked, "Is everybody ready?" A chorus of affirmatives rippled around the bridge. "Good," he replied. Looking over at the navigator, Taylor said, "We-Ehre, take us out." The Erdani's hands flew over the console, and within a few moments, a low hum began to be heard throughout the bridge. The null-space portal generator charged, and an amber glow began to materialize in front of the viewscreen. Growing brighter in radiance, the glow solidified into a large disc which crackled with lightning. Easing forward, the Cat's Eye pushed into the disc, and into null-space, the realm between realms through which one traveled from world to world.

Later, when the massive ship was well on its way to Rellonai, Taylor pushed his way out of the command chair and stretched. He could never sit still for very long. As he walked around the bridge, offering quiet words of encouragement to each crew member, he happened to stroll by the holo-screen that had that strange solar system on it. It was still on the screen, and he paused and looked at it, frowning in puzzlement. Something tugged at the back of his mind, almost like déjà vu, but he had no idea where he could have seen such a strange system before. He thought he would remember something this odd-looking. He needed to think, and as it was another hour before the ship would arrive on Rellonai, Taylor opted to head to his quarters. "Something about that star system just keeps bugging me," Taylor murmured to Jacen when he walked back to the center of the bridge. "I'm going to be in my quarters for a while, looking some stuff up. You're in command."

"Got it, Taylor," Jacen replied, nodding.

Taylor smiled and thanked Jacen, then walked off the bridge and into the PT car, affectionately called the "pet car." "Deck 8," he spoke when he had entered the car, and the twin doors slid shut with an oily purr. A faint sense of weightlessness was felt as the car began its journey through the ship. 'Why do I recognize that star system?' Taylor wondered. As the car slowed to a stop and deposited him on deck 8, the question still buzzed incessantly in his head. As he reached his quarters, he pushed his hand against the entry panel, which briefly pulsed as it scanned his palm. Taylor's quarters were no more opulent than any other crew-member's, only having a small replica of the insignia of the _Iri Felessar_ emblazoned on his doors. As he believed all his teammates and crew were equals, it was unnecessary to exhibit status in the form of material things. As the double-doors whirred open, Taylor stepped inside and spoke, "Lights," and the room lit up with warm tones. Looking around the room, Taylor spotted a familiar form on his bed. Tapping a panel near the door, Taylor dimmed the lights to a lower level—he didn't want to disturb Star's sleep. The Rydian fox 'morph was one of the warriors of the _Iri Felessar_, but her power didn't originate with the Altairian Crystals. The source of her abilities was another crystal, known as the Dragon's Fang, which not only augmented her fighting skills, but gave her a wide array of healing powers, as well. As such, she was uniquely suited for the position she had been cast in as medic aboard the ship.

Walking past the bed, Taylor placed a gentle kiss on Star's cheek before walking over to the computer terminal and keying in his access codes. Chin on his fist, Taylor began to search through databases and archives, meandering through articles and documents, looking through any information he could find about this mysterious star system.

'This place isn't exactly out-of-the-way,' Taylor thought with frustration. He had been searching for a while now, and had only found bits and pieces, mainly technical wonderment about the possibility of such a system existing at all, but nothing that he really wanted; nothing about the nature of the people that lived there, or if there were people there, or any other such clue that might answer why he had this awkward sense of déjà vu when he looked at the holomap. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head. "Well," he said to himself, "I can't do more here. Besides, I think we're about ready to come out of warp." As if on cue, the lights in his room suddenly flashed amber, signifying just that. "_Attention_," came Jacen's voice over the intercom, "_We're coming out of warp—standby for the drop into Rellonai orbit_." Taylor wheeled around in his chair, and saw Star sitting opposite him on the bed. Smiling, he asked, "How did you sleep?"

Star stretched and yawned, brushing her crimson hair back into its proper place on her head. "Good, glad to get that little bit of rest in-between shifts," she said, pushing herself to her feet.

"Good to hear," Taylor replied with a smile. "We'll need everybody at their best if we want to beat Adek."

Star nodded, her expression becoming serious. "How long until we make planetfall?"

Taylor glanced at his watch. "About an hour."

"All right, then, I'll see you up on the bridge as soon as I'm dressed."  
Taylor nodded, and turned to leave. Before he had left the room, however, he turned back. "Star?"

"Yeah?" she replied.

"Just…be careful planetside, okay?"

Star laughed, shaking her head. "Don't worry about me, _Allajenr_," she said. Walking over to him, she winked slyly. "May I remind you who beat who in our last sparring match?"

Taylor threw his hands up, laughing. "Hey, I was going easy on you!"

Star flashed him an unbelieving look. "You'd better get on the bridge before Jacen wonders what happened to you," she teased.

Taylor chuckled. "All right, _Llerenn_. I'll see you on Rellonai." Giving her a quick kiss, he spun on his heel and walked out of their quarters. As he made his way down the corridors, he reached into his pocket and grabbed his Crystal, the source of his psionic powers. Squeezing it in his hand, he felt the usual sensation of it dissipating within his grip, and then saw the glowing tattoos etch themselves across his skin. He felt the Crystal's power merging with his own, and as he reached the lift, his transformation into meta-state was complete. "Bridge," he stated to the lift car, and the doors shut, and the car smoothly whisked him upward to the bridge.


	3. Chapter III: Strange Assault

The Great Fox burst out of hyperspace into real-space and cruised into orbit around the planet Rellonai. "Why in the heck would Scales want to build a base here?" Falco asked. "This place doesn't exactly seem ideal."

"Three words--location, location, location," Peppy replied. "From here, Scales could attack Corneria with even his short-range craft. He could literally throw everything he's got at us. Right now, after the Aparoid invasion, we simply don't have the resources to counter such an invasion, and Scales knows it. He could blast us without us even being able to put up a fight. That's why the General wants us to stop him here, now, before the construction of his new stronghold is complete!"

Suddenly Krystal screamed and fell to her knees, her hands pressing against her temples. Fox was instantly at her side. "What is it, Krystal?" he asked worriedly.

"A--a strong mental pattern," Krystal gasped. "Apparently it didn't like my psychic probing…" She shook her head and shakily climbed to her feet.

"A-are you okay?" Fox asked.

Falco watched the exchange between the two vulpines, a slight smile coming to his beak despite the situation. 'Foxie's startin' to realize that little Krystal's more than just a teammate to him,' he thought. 'It's about time.'

"Yes, I'm fine," Krystal smiled. "No need to worry--" her voice suddenly trailed off and she looked wide-eyed at the viewscreen. Peppy turned, and gasped as he and the rest of the Starfox team saw the largest craft any of them had ever laid eyes on. It was even larger than the Great Fox. The battleship was made up of two large prongs, joined by a central beam near the aft. Rising several stories above the cruiser was a large tailpiece, on which sat a radar array. The craft was pure black, lined with pulsing violet energy conduits. "Let's get out of here! I sense much danger from that ship!" Krystal exclaimed.

"You don't need to be psychic to know that one!" Falco shot back. "Come on, Fox, get us out of here!"

"I'm trying!" Fox grunted, wrestling with the controls. "This is a big ship. She can't turn on a dime like the Arwings."

Suddenly, a bright glow began to form in openings in the prongs jutting out from the other craft. "May fortune protect us," Peppy breathed.

"Oh, no…" Falco muttered as two beams of energy shot out of the craft, ripping through the Great Fox's hull like it was paper. Team Starfox was thrown to the deck.

Fox was the first to regain his footing. "Let's get out of here, guys! If the Arwings can launch, we can escape!" The rest of the team scrambled to their feet and dashed to the hangar. Fortunately, the Arwings had been left undamaged by their mysterious assailant's attack. Fox, Krystal, Falco, and Slippy leapt into Arwings and began running through the systems checks.

Falco turned to Peppy. "What are you waiting for? Get in!"

"There's no room!"

"Then we'll _make_ room!" Falco shot back. "Come on, gramps!" Falco hauled Peppy into his fighter, and Fox grabbed ROB. Rapidly completing the last of the systems checks, Fox powered up his engines.

"Let's launch, guys!" Fox shouted. The four Arwings tore out of the hangar, pursued closely by trails of fire. Once they were out, the six members of Starfox watched their beloved battleship go down in a ball of flame. Peppy sighed. "That's the second time Great Fox has been shot down in six months! Pepper's not going to be happy to hear that."

Fox looked up through the top of his cockpit and saw the alien ship as a tiny speck in the distance. "I can barely see that thing," Fox said. "Which means, since we're so much smaller, that they probably can't see us at all. Let's hope they think no one survived."

"Then we'll have the drop on 'em!" Falco hooted. "We can blast 'em!"

"Not yet!" Fox ordered. "The General's orders were to investigate the base, remember? After we do that, then we can go after that ship if you really want to, Falco. But first, I want to find a little bit more about that thing. Krystal? You said you sensed something just before we saw the cruiser. Could there be a connection?" No answer. "Krys?" Fox called. "You ok?"

Krystal opened the comm channel, and her face appeared next to Slippy's and Falco's. She tried to smile, but her tearstained cheeks revealed her true emotions.

Fox instantly picked up on Krystal's true feelings, and quickly decided a private conversation might be the best way to sort this all out. "Encrypt channel alpha, code: Tango-Beta-Niner-Gamma," Fox said.

"Encryption code accepted," the computer replied, and Falco and Slippy's faces vanished from the screen.

"Krys? You ok?" Fox asked.

She sniffed and briskly brushed a tear off of her cheek. "Yeah, Fox. I'm fine."

Fox tilted his head. "Are you sure?"

Krystal looked down. "No--oh Fox!" She buried her face in her hands and cried softly.

Fox placed his hand on the viewscreen. "Krystal? Wh-what is it?" Fox started to panic, an emotion that confused him because it was one he had never experienced before. He was always the calm one of the team. Why should he get so worked up now? He quickly answered his own question; he loved Krystal.

Krystal looked up at him, her ears hanging limply. "I--I saw my family, Fox," she murmured. "I could see them as clearly as I see you now."

Fox gasped. "What?"

"That's not all," Krystal said, and she no longer could keep her eyes on Fox, and she looked down, her next words merely a mumble. "Th-that ship--" she began, "The one--orbiting the planet--that's the one--that destroyed Cerinia!"

"Oh--Krys…" Fox murmured. He placed his hand on the viewscreen, then punched his fist into the palm of his other hand. 'There's nothing I can do for Krystal, stuck in this damn Arwing!'

Krystal slowly blinked back her tears and smiled slightly. 'That's all right. Just knowing you're worried about me is consolation enough.'

Fox looked around in surprise. That was Krystal's voice he had just heard, but he hadn't seen her lips move. "Krys?" Fox called. "Krystal, is that you?"

Krystal actually laughed a little at Fox's words. 'Who else would it be, silly?'

"H--how are you talking to me? I can hear you, but your lips aren't moving!"

'It's a new ability I just discovered. It's called telepathy.' Krystal was actually a little surprised herself at this new ability. 'The only way we should be able to hear each others' thoughts is if we were--' she almost couldn't believe she was saying--thinking this. 'If we were destined to be together… Fox and I are--soul mates?'

Fox looked at Krystal. "Are you okay, Krys? I'm still worried about you."

Krystal smiled at him. "Mm-hmm," she nodded. "I'm fine, now. As long as I have you, I'll be all right."

Fox blinked in surprise. He liked Krys, but he wasn't sure if the feeling was mutual. Apparently, it was. Fox looked at Krystal, his face set. "Listen…we'll stop that thing. Somehow… We'll keep it from destroying anything else. That I promise you."

"I know you will, Fox," Krystal said.

Fox smiled. "Disengage channel encryption, code: Gamma-Delta-Three-Three."

"Code accepted. Encryption, disengaged," the computer replied. Falco, Slippy, and Peppy's faces reappeared on the screen. Falco noticed his leader's expression, and wondered what had occurred between him and Krystal those past few minutes, and opened his beak to ask, but shut it with a snap when Fox gave him a familiar look. He didn't think it was any of Falco's business, end of story. Falco, though he was curious, respected Fox's privacy.

"Let's finish our mission, team!" Fox called. "Let's give Scales the blasting he deserves!"

"Yeah!"

"Let's do this!"

The four Arwings powered up their engines and soared down through the atmosphere of Rellonai in pursuit of their nemesis.


	4. Chapter IV: Impossible Reality

Dropping out of hyperspace, the _Cat's Eye_ orbited the small forested planet of Rellonai. "Scanners are picking up a large battlecruiser on the far side of the planet," Jeresh said.

Taylor nodded. "Then he's here."

"Yeah. I really don't like the idea of him being this close to Altair."

"Unfortunately," Jacen replied, "Our orders are to merely investigate Adek's stronghold. 'We are not to provoke him without due cause,'" he finished, mimicking their latest orders from the Altairian High Command.

"And building said stronghold only fifty light-years from Altair isn't due cause?" Taylor groaned.

Jacen shrugged. "I feel the same way about this that you do, guys, but we can't go against the Director again. He'll disband us this time."

Taylor sighed. "I know, man, I know. If a Reshetell so much as sends a plasma needle our way, though, I'm gonna consider that cause enough, and fry that place."

Jeresh pumped his fist. "I'm with you on that one, Taylor!"

Star nodded. "Yeah, Jer! Let's do this!"

The four warriors ran down the halls of their ship and into the hangar bay of the great vessel. Leaping into their Thundersabre-class fighters, one by one the group powered up their engines and ran through the pre-flight checks. The fighters themselves were designed in the canard-wing fashion with the rear wings forming two near perfect triangles. The front wings were uniquely designed; they were a two-part swept design, one part at about forty-five degrees, the other part extending nearly straight back. The flight checks finished, the team of warriors soared into yet another mission to save the known galaxy.

After about a half hour of cruising over the surface of Rellonai, Jacen encountered a blip on his sensors. "What do you make of that, Taylor?" he asked.

"I'm not really sure," was the confused reply. "It reads like a base, though."

"Let's see how close we can get without tripping the perimeters," Jeresh quipped, injecting a little humor into their situation.

"Wait a minute," Star said. "This thing isn't big enough to be a base. But it's huge in its own right."

"Then what in the world is it?" Jacen asked.

"Dunno," Jeresh replied. "We'll find out soon enough, though. It's right over this next ridge.

Cresting the hill in question, the four pilots were greeted by the sight of a smoldering hulk of a ship.

"Holy God…" Taylor breathed. "This thing's nearly as big as the BladeWraith-class ships! I thought the _Cat's Eye_ was huge until I saw one of Adek's cruisers. Those things could blow one of the Krell-class battleships out of the sky with a sneeze. This ship looks like it could have gone toe-to-toe with them."

Jacen nodded in assent. "You're right about that, Taylor. The question is now; where did it come from? And is it friendly?"

"Well, Adek certainly didn't like it," Star stated.

"Doesn't necessarily mean it's our friend, though," Jeresh replied.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Taylor said. "Come on! Let's take a look around this thing."

Jacen chuckled. "All right, but if we get killed,"

"It's on my head," Taylor fired back in conclusion to a familiar joke. "Yeah, I know."

The four fighters landed in a semicircle a short distance away from the crashed cruiser, and one by one, the four warriors climbed out of their craft. Running his hand over the crashed ship, Taylor sighed softly. "Man…this poor thing really got beat up. Whoever her crew is, they're going to have--" his voice trailed off suddenly, and he stood standing, open-mouthed, at the insignia on the remains of the tail section.

"What is it, boss?" Jacen asked.

"Th--this is impossible!" Taylor breathed, his voice barely audible. "They shouldn't be real!"

"Who? Who shouldn't be real?" Star asked, now starting to worry about her boyfriend. What had vexed him like this?

"St-Starfox," Taylor managed to stammer out. 'This ship shouldn't exist!' Taylor thought. 'It's a videogame, back on Earth!' He rubbed his eyes, almost expecting the ship to disappear. 'Did Terra know? Did they somehow make secret contact, and then create the game?' The odds of that were almost impossible, but the odds of this happening coincidentally were almost even more incredible. "This ship…it is part of a videogame back home, on Earth," Taylor said, turning to his comrades. "I would recognize that symbol anywhere!" He pointed to the red firefox on the tail section, still easily discernible despite the damage. "B--but I don't know how Terrans created a videogame that would match this so precisely."

Jacen shrugged. "I don't really know, but maybe we can turn this to our advantage. What was the goal of 'Team Starfox' in the videogame? Good? Or evil?"

"The same as ours," Taylor replied. "Save the galaxy from an evil madman."

"Then maybe we can trust them."

"If they're still alive," Jeresh said flatly.

"They have to be!" Taylor whispered. It just wouldn't be right if four of the galaxy's great heroes met their end in a spaceship crash.

"Well, what do you propose we do?" Jacen asked.

"Well, first," Taylor said, turning to Jacen, "If we run into team Starfox, it might be best if you and I are anthromorphs, because if their reality is anything like the game, they've never had contact with a non-'morphed species."

Jacen nodded. "Sounds good." He pulled his crystal that was the source of his power from his pocket, and Taylor did the same. "_La'rus te lerio_!" they shouted as one.

With a flash of light, both Taylor and Jacen had transformed into anthromorphs. Taylor; a black fox with green eyes and white markings and hair, and Jacen, a black cat with yellow markings, blond hair, and his piercing blue eyes. Using their crystal also transformed them into meta-state, a form in which their myriad psionic powers could be used.

"Now," said Taylor, grinning. "I think we should do what we originally planned to do. Explore the ship."


	5. Chapter V: Warriors Unite

The six members of team Starfox landed a short distance away from Scales' stronghold, then quietly climbed out of their cockpits. "ROB, you stay here and guard the Arwings," Fox said.

"Affirmative," ROB replied.

Fox, Krystal, Falco, Peppy, and Slippy then crept closer to the structure, using the forest as cover. "Now remember, team, our orders are to investigate the base. That means no reckless blasting, Falco," Fox stated.

"Aww," Falco replied, though there was a grin on his beak. As the five heroes peered around the trees, they could see legions of Sharpclaws around and on the unfinished base, performing various construction tasks. There were also several other creatures which Fox didn't recognize. They looked like humanoids, but were covered in or wearing black and purple material. Standing near the base was General Scales himself, conversing with another humanoid with nearly black skin and hair, glowing green eyes, and pointed ears.

Krystal hissed, her ears flattened and her fangs bared, when she saw the humanoid conversing with Scales. "He's the commander of the ship in orbit. He's mine! I will make him pay for what he has done!"

Fox was surprised at Krystal's vehemence, though he understood it. He also was beginning to understand that this was more than a Lylatian conflict. This encompassed the entire galaxy. "We have to stop Scales and the other one here, now!" Fox hissed. "Otherwise, they'll just keep moving from planet to planet, trailing devastation in their wake."

"Agreed," Falco nodded.

"I'm with you, Fox," said Slippy.

"Let's do this, Fox!"

Fox stood, raising his staff, which was a duplicate of Krystal's weapon, except that it was silver. Pushing the brush aside, team Starfox strode into view of Scales and the other humanoid. "Scales! I'm here to finish what we started on Sauria!" The Sharpclaws and other humanoids started to move toward the team, but Scales waved them off.

"This is personal!" he thundered. He swaggered up to Fox, crossing his arms belligerently. "The great Fox McCloud." He turned to Krystal, who instantly lowered her ears back against her head. "And the beautiful Krystal. You should have been mine," he finished, lifting her chin with a finger. Krystal hissed warningly, and Fox snarled, whacking Scales' hand away and tripping him with a sweeping kick.

"Don't you touch her!" he growled.

Scales rose, using his sword as a prop. "A grave mistake, pup," he sneered. "I think, though, that you will not live to regret it!" Scales raised his blade and charged toward Fox. He brought his sword down in a wide arc, crashing down on Fox's defenses. Fox groaned, but stood his ground, then retaliated with a swift flurry of strikes that Scales was hard-pressed to block. Fox suddenly whirled, tripping Scales with his staff. Quickly taking advantage of the situation, Fox leapt upon Scales, pointing his staff at his foe's throat, its tip glowing red.

"It's over, Scales!" Fox said. "You're finished."

"Not so fast, McCloud!" Fox whirled, and saw Krystal struggling in the grasp of the humanoid who had been conversing with Scales earlier.

"Release her!" Fox shouted.

The humanoid beckoned Fox to rise. "Get up, boy." In an instant, his free hand was suddenly hovering next to Krystal's cheek, and with a flash, the man was suddenly holding a sphere of crackling energy. "Or she will die."

'Don't worry about me, Fox!' Krystal said telepathically. 'Just kill Scales, before he can attack anyone else!' Fox considered acting on Krystal's words, but couldn't bear to see her get killed. Fox sighed and stood, lowering his staff.

Scales instantly leapt to his feet, placing his saber at Fox's neck. "Should I kill him now?" he asked with a strange note of pleasure in his voice.

The humanoid shook his head. "Not now," he said. "You know, Fox," he sneered, "you're smarter than you look."

Krystal growled softly. 'This'll teach you to mess with me,' she thought. She pressed two fingers to her temple, and the man recoiled as if struck, then he laughed.

"You dare to challenge Adek, Destroyer of Worlds?" He frowned slightly, examining the vixen he held in his grip. "Wait… It's you!" he gasped. "The princess Krystal Devrec! Finally, I can fulfill my destiny: To destroy the royal Cerinian bloodline!" He tightened his hold on her throat, and Krystal gasped for air. She clawed at Adek's hand, but he was too strong. Her eyes widened as she began to realize that she was going to die.

'Now…now I won't--I won't be able to tell--' Her thoughts became incoherent and her vision blurred as she faded in and out of consciousness.

"Now, now, princess," Adek taunted. "We can't have you falling asleep already! The fun's just about to begin! Besides, killing you that fast would be too easy!" He laughed maniacally, then threw Krystal to the ground, blasting her with bolts of energy seemingly generated out of nowhere.

Fox had been too shocked to move at Adek's brutality, but now his senses kicked in, and he sprang into action.

Adek turned when he saw Fox sprinting towards him. "You child!" he laughed, then held out his hand, encasing Fox in a forcefield. Turning back to Krystal, he was shocked to discover that she had regained her footing, and now assumed a shaky, though familiar, fighting stance. 'This vixen can't have powers…can she?'

"All right, vixen," Adek sneered. "Fight me. It shall…amuse me."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Krystal muttered. She held out her hands, and rays of light lanced out from her fingertips, sending Adek tumbling to the ground.

He quickly leapt to his feet and angrily wiped the blood from his lip. "You'll pay for that!" he spat. He held out his hand, then slowly raised it, and Krystal rose several feet off of the ground. He pushed his hand forward through the air, and Krystal was sent sailing into one of the I-beams of the unfinished structure. Adek watched, cackling maniacally as Krystal tumbled limply to the ground, but then paused as she shakily climbed to her feet yet again. 'This'll teach you to stay down,' he thought vehemently. He held out his hand, and it began to glow a dull red. Suddenly Krystal let out a terrifying shriek. She fell to her knees, her hands against her temples. He swaggered up to her, drawing a curved blade.

"You've been tough, Princess, but I think this is the end for you," Adek cackled. "If, somehow, someone comes to your rescue, though, I've planned a safeguard."

"--Rrgh...what did you do to me?" Krystal groaned, still pressing her hands against her head.

"Sealed your fate!" Adek crowed. "One way or another, you will die!" Adek raised his blade high.

"N-no, please..." Krystal moaned, feebly holding out a hand, but she was too weak, and her eyes closed, and she slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Fox realized what was going to happen, and he frantically pounded on the forcefield with his staff, but to no avail. "Krystal!"

Adek's eyes acquired a haunting glow. "Say goodbye, 'Your Highness'!"

Fox screamed as the blade plunged downward.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a dark shape raced across the plain and intercepted Adek's blade.

Dropping out of hyper-time, Taylor Daniels smirked as he foiled his nemesis yet again. "Adek, Adek," he clucked. "When will you learn?"

"St--stay out of this, Lirren!" Adek spluttered.

"Sorry. When you get involved, I stop you. It's as simple as that," Taylor growled.

'He has that blade in his bare hand!' Fox thought. Taylor shoved Adek to the ground, then threw out his hand, firing an energy ball at the field encasing Fox. As soon as the sphere of energy connected with the forcefield, it was spiderwebbed with lines of energy, then seemed to shatter, freeing Fox. He instantly dashed over to Krystal, completely disregarding the intense battle going on a mere few yards away. She was unconscious, but he felt a strong pulse when he placed two fingers to her neck. Carefully lifting her in his arms, he carried her back to his teammates. "This is what Scales and Adek have done!" he growled. "For this--they will pay!" He turned to Peppy. "Watch Krystal for me while I deal with two thorns in my side."

Slippy and Falco raised their blasters. "We'll cover you, Fox." As the trio of heroes drew nearer to Scales, he ordered his Sharpclaws to defend him. The other set of minions, not to be outdone, also closed in on Fox, Falco, and Slippy. "We're screwed…" Falco groaned.

Suddenly three other blurs dashed into the fray, taking out several Sharpclaws and several of the other humanoids before solidifying. Star, Jacen, and Jeresh had all joined the battle, assisting team Starfox in defeating their foes. "I see your Reshetell are just as weak as ever, Adek!" Jeresh called as he smoothly cut down three of the minions with his blade.

'Reshetell…Where have I heard that before?' Peppy mused.

Leaving Falco, Slippy, and the three new warriors to clean up the Sharpclaws, Fox cleared a path to Scales. "Nowhere to run," Fox growled.

Taylor also was in the process of hacking his way through the Reshetell to confront Adek again. 'That coward always hides behind his minions,' Taylor thought.

Fox brandished his staff. "You will pay for what you've done to Krystal!" he shouted, and leapt for Scales, who barely had time to draw his blade and defend himself. Scales forced Fox back and attacked with a flurry of strikes, but Fox's staff was there each time to deflect the slashes. Twirling the staff rapidly, Fox unleashed a frenzied series of blows that sent Scales tumbling. He shakily climbed to his feet and raised his blade, only to be blasted by a series of Fire Blasts.

Taylor, meanwhile, had cornered Adek, and the two were battling it out in a furious psychic duel. Taylor blasted Adek with a barrage of energy blasts, then followed it up with a swift sidekick to the jaw that left Adek reeling. "Why did you drag Starfox into your games, Adek?" Taylor asked.

"You'll never know, Terran!" Adek spat, then unleashed a massive energy beam, sending Taylor flying. He unsteadily regained his footing, shaking his head to clear it.

'This guy's stronger than he looks,' Taylor thought. Taylor arced his blade through the air, sending several arcs of energy racing towards his foe. Adek's saber was there each time to block the slashes. Taylor was undeterred. He raced for Adek, but instead of attacking him, he vaulted over him, then swept his legs out from under him when he landed. Taylor instantly placed his saber to Adek's throat. "You're finished."

"Not today, Terran!" Adek sneered. He quickly punched several buttons on a device on his wrist, and he and the Reshetell vanished.

"It appears that this fight is over," Scales said, mimicking Adek, vanishing along with the Sharpclaws.

"It's not over until I have you, Scales," Fox muttered. He turned, then, along with Falco and Slippy, walked over to the four warriors that had assisted them in their battle. "Whoever you are, you saved our lives," Fox spoke. "We are indebted to you."

Taylor and Jacen bowed formally. "We're just doin' what needs to be done," Taylor said. "Oh!" he exclaimed suddenly, realizing he had not introduced his teammates. "My name is Taylor Daniels. This is Jacen Ryan, Jeresh Bluetail, and Star Niress."

"I am Fox McCloud, this is Slippy Toad, and Falco Lombardi," Fox replied, pointing to each of his teammates in turn.

Taylor nodded. He couldn't yet tell Fox that he knew about their existence before they met, for it could cause serious culture shock. He didn't know if the Lylatians had made contact with a non-'morphed species before, and was unsure of how that would affect them. Along that same vein, he decided that it was best he keep his 'morph form, for now. Taylor's thoughts were suddenly cut off by an aging, yet still stentorian voice. "Fox! You'd better get over here," Peppy called. Fox looked at Falco, then dashed off, with Taylor, Star, Jacen, and Jeresh following close behind. When Fox reached Peppy and Krystal, he came to a sliding stop, he was moving so fast. He instantly knelt in front of Krystal and brought her up into his lap. "F-Fox...?" Krystal moaned.

Taylor and his group and Falco and Slippy had just reached Fox when they heard Krystal speak. 'No--Krystal...' Taylor thought. 'Whether Scales or Adek did this to her, they're gonna pay!' He turned to Falco, about to get some answers. "What happened?" Taylor asked.

"That guy you were fighting--Adek..." Falco began, "did this to Krystal. He has some serious powers, and he beat her up pretty bad. But, it looks like she might be comin' around."

Taylor clenched his fists. 'Why did Adek bring Starfox into this? They are no concern of his!'

Fox stroked Krystal's hair. "It's all right, now, Krys," he murmured. "I'm here."

Krystal managed a weak smile. "Fox...I--" her eyes suddenly closed, and she slumped in Fox's arms.

"No! Krys!" Fox cried. "Wake up! Please..."

Peppy instantly bent over his communicator. "ROB! Four to trans--" he sighed. "Oh. Right. No more Great Fox."

Jacen sprang into action. "We have a medicenter on-board our cruiser!"

"If you can do anything for her, do it!" Fox said, his eyes glittering with shards of hope.

"All right!" Jacen pressed several buttons on a watch-like device, and suddenly, the four Arwings, the four Thundersabres, Team Starfox, and the _Iri Felessar_ were all engulfed in a yellowish light. When the glow faded, the group, along with their craft, were standing in the large hangar bay of the _Cat's Eye_. Fox looked around in awe at the size of the hangar bay. It easily dwarfed that of the Great Fox, and was lined with myriad fighters of various classes. 'This bay could easily hold most of the Cornerian Air Force,' Fox thought.

Fox turned to Falco and Slippy. "Falco, Slippy, secure the Arwings!" The pair snapped salutes, then Fox turned to Taylor. "Take me to your medicenter!"

"I'm coming with you!" Peppy interjected.

Taylor nodded briskly, dropped out of meta-state, then dashed through the corridors, shoving surprised crewmembers out of the way. "Move!" he shouted as he ran. "We have a medical emergency here!"

Fox allowed himself no emotions as he nearly flew through the halls of the craft. If he did, he couldn't go on. His guts would tie up, and his heart would ache. He couldn't even look down at her. If he did, he knew he would start going crazy. Seeing her hurt was the worst feeling in the world. 'Hold on, Krys,' he thought.


	6. Chapter VI: Life or Death?

Fox, Peppy, and Taylor burst into the medicenter, greeted by outbursts of shock and surprise. Brian Lihar, the CMD, strode up to Taylor and demanded to know what was going on.

"We have a serious emergency here, Brian," Taylor replied. "This girl needs help!"

Brian turned to Fox, who was cradling Krystal in his arms. Fox had been looking at Krystal, but he now looked up, his green eyes rimmed with tears. The medic nodded grimly. "All right. Follow me!" The Altairian led Fox and company through the medicenter into the Intensive Care Ward. They entered a room, and Fox gently laid Krystal down on a cot. As if on cue, several other medics entered the room and hooked Krystal up to several monitors, a Breathing Assistance Unit, and an IV. Then, one of the medics turned to Fox and Peppy. "Any non-essential persons must now exit. I'm sorry, but you have to leave."

Peppy turned compliantly, but Fox shook his head firmly. "Anything that happens to Krystal concerns me," he said sternly.

"Sir, you have to--"

"I'm staying!" insisted Fox.

The medic seemed to be about to continue his protestations, when Taylor laid a hand on his shoulder. "Fox and Peppy stay," he said, using a tone that meant there was to be no further discussion on the matter.

"All right," Brian said. "Let's see what we can do for her."

As he began to converse with the other medics on the best treatment option for the unusual case they had before them, Fox began to notice something was off. 'There's something strange about these doctors,' he mused. 'I know! They're not 'morphs! But...I didn't think there could be a non-'morphed species...' Fox had no more time to consider this interesting revelation, for at that moment Krystal moaned softly. Fox was instantly at her side. "I'm here, Krys," he said, but she was still unconscious.

Suddenly her eyes snapped open, and she snarled venomously. "No! Leave me alone!" Krystal shouted, and began to thrash wildly on the cot.

"Restrain her!" Brian shouted. "She's going to hurt herself if she keeps that up!" Two medics instantly leapt for her arms, and another pair pinned her ankles to the cot.

Fox gasped in shock, and tried to rush to Krystal, but Taylor blocked his path. "What are you doing?" Fox demanded. "Let me by!"

"Look at her!" Taylor shot back. "She's still unconscious! You'd just end up gashed."

Fox did look at Krystal, and saw that though her eyes were open, they were unfocused. His shoulders slumped in resignation. "But..."

Taylor instantly picked up on Fox's mood. He wanted to help her, but had no idea how to. Taylor slowly walked over to the cot and waved the medics aside. He gently placed a hand on Krystal's forehead, and she instantly calmed, and her eyes closed again.

"Wow..." Fox breathed. He looked up at Taylor. "You've saved Krystal twice--" he murmured. "How can I ever repay you?"

Taylor couldn't believe his ears. 'One of the greatest heroes in the galaxy is saying that he is indebted to me?' Taylor smiled slightly. "You don't have to do anything, Fox," Taylor replied. "I'm just glad I could help."

But their problems were far from over. A medic walked up and whispered something in Taylor's ear, and his black fur faded to gray, he was that shocked. "No," he breathed. "Show me." The medic led Taylor over to a device around which several other doctors were huddled. The device in question was measuring Krystal's brainwave activity. Taylor looked at the graphing lines, and his shock worsened. The four lines measuring alpha, beta, gamma, and delta waves were falling rapidly, and there was no improvement in sight. "What's happening?" Taylor whispered tersely, so as not to alert Fox. He didn't really want to keep Fox in the dark, but this news would be nearly impossible for him to bear.

"We don't know," Brian replied. "All of a sudden, her delta waves went nuts, then this started happening."

"Wait." Taylor held up a hand. "What did you say about her delta waves?"

"About three minutes ago, they started going crazy, and then everything started flatlining."

"I've only heard of one thing that could attack minds like this--" Taylor murmured under his breath. Then he raised his voice. "Medics! Out! Now!" Brian had heard this tone before in his commander. He was on to something, it wasn't good, and he hoped he was wrong. Once the medics had left, Taylor turned to Fox and Peppy. "I have some--very bad news..." he began, taking a deep breath.

Fox steeled himself. 'Please, just let Krystal live...' he begged. "What is it?" he asked.

"While she was fighting Adek...he used a psionic attack known only as _Ha'lar Marai_, which means "Insidious Presence." It only affects other psions. The effects are simple, but effective: Little by little, Krystal's brain is shutting down."

"No!" Fox cried. "There has to be something you can do!"

Taylor shook his head. "I'm sorry...I can't."

"Why?" Fox demanded, tears now streaming down his face. "I saw you calm her earlier! You have healing powers!"

"I can't, because if I try to enter Krystal's mind, I will be subject to the same attack. I can't do anything. I'd be in the same condition as Krystal in seconds," Taylor sighed.

Fox looked down, now realizing the truth. Krystal would die, and there was nothing he could do about it. "How...how much time does she have left?"

Taylor sighed. "I'm not sure. I've only seen one other victim of this, and she didn't survive long...only about two days."

"No! Krys..." Fox sobbed, his breath ragged.

Taylor looked down, and a tear trickled down his cheek. "I'm so sorry."

Fox forced himself to smile slightly. "You--you tried. There was nothing else you could do..."

Taylor only could nod grimly. He seemed to be about to speak, then he turned and walked slowly out of the medicenter. The last sounds he heard were Fox's choked, muffled sobs as he buried his face into the cot on which Krystal lay.


	7. Chapter VII: Hope

Fox slept restlessly that night. All he could think about was Krys. He kept having the same nightmare over and over. He would always find himself wandering through a forest, a dead forest. This time, though, would be different. Fox knew he was dreaming, and hoped that maybe that this would help influence the outcome. Suddenly, an ear-splitting scream for help pierced the air. Fox gasped, drawing his staff. That could only be Krystal... Fox began to get a sinking feeling in his gut. 'I hope that's not Krys...' he thought, though he knew it was. Fox dashed off in the direction he thought the noise had come from, and he heard a sound that made his blood freeze: the sound of bones rattling.

Fox dashed into a clearing, and quickly took in the situation. Four--well--creatures were the best word Fox could use to describe them--encircled Krystal, who lay curled on the ground, trembling. Creatures they were, for they were hideous, skeletal apparitions. Fox noticed that they made a halfway attempt to look vulpine. Fox soon realized with a start just why they had picked that appearance. They were clones of him! Twisted, sick beings, to be sure, but clones nonetheless. They wore his jumpsuit; they had staffs similar to his. "Get away from her!" Fox shouted.

The clones turned, then smirked hideously at him. Fox shuddered inwardly when he saw their faces. He couldn't be afraid, though, for Krys' sake. "I will make you _pay_!" Fox thundered.

One of the creatures looked at him, then growled tauntingly at him. Its growl matched the sound Fox had heard earlier: it seemed to be a cross between a low growl and the sound of bones rattling. With the taunt, the creature seemed to be asking him; "Will you really?"

Fox lost all control of his feral rage then. He let out an inhuman roar, then charged toward the creatures, his staff upraised. They were fierce opponents under normal circumstances, but Fox was in a blind rage, and the clones couldn't keep up with his furious assaults, and they soon crumbled to bits. He looked over at Krystal, and just seeing her safe was able to calm him. He slumped to his knees next to her, sighing. "It's over, Krys," he said, smiling.

She eased herself into a kneeling position, smiling slightly back at him, then her eyes rolled back in her head, and her neck snapped with a sickening crunch. When she looked back at Fox, her eyes had lost all light, and she now grinned at him. Her smirk was nothing remotely like Krystal's. It was horrible and frightening. Fox had never been so scared. "No, reynard. It's not over. Not yet!" Krystal let out an ethereal shriek, then leapt for Fox, claws extended and fangs bared.

Fox screamed in terror, then awoke, panting and shaking. The dream had been so real that he looked around for any of his dopplegangers. "N-no..." he panted, still half in the dream world. He shook his head to clear it. "I--will--stop this. I'm going to save Krystal!" he said vehemently. He smoothly slid out of bed, got dressed in sweats and a shirt, then softly glided out of his quarters and down the hallway, bound for the medicenter.

Fox strode purposefully into the medicenter, warranting surprised murmurs, then understanding glances. As he walked through the halls to the ICW, he heard some snippets of conversation.

"He's just like Taylor..."

"He seems so worried about her. I hope she pulls through."

"He's just like Taylor when Star was injured."

"Yeah. They have a lot in common."

Fox strode into Krystal's room, where a nurse hovered over her bed, turning with a gasp when she heard Fox enter. "Oh! It's you," she said. "I'll leave you alone..." she said, and made a polite exit. Fox sighed, and sat down hard on the chair in Krystal's room. He looked at her, tears welling up in his eyes. She was so beautiful. If only he had had the chance to tell her that--no. He chastised himself for even thinking that. Krystal _would_ get better! She just had to. Suddenly Krystal moaned softly, and her face contorted. Fox gently put a hand on her cheek. "Shh, shh, Krys. It's okay. I'm here. I'll always be here," he said. Krystal's face relaxed, and a smile came to her muzzle. Fox blinked in surprise. Did she, even in this state, know he was here? There had been theories, but never concrete proof that some senses were retained, even when comatose. Fox didn't care. This was proof enough for him.

He got out of the chair and knelt next to Krystal's bed. "Krys?" he began. "I don't really know if you can hear me...but...there's something I've got to tell you..." He could feel his face getting warm, and his heart began to beat faster. Why, even when she was unconscious, was he so nervous around her? He cleared his throat, then continued. "I don't know if you feel the same way about me, but I want you to know this anyway. Ever since I first saw you, in that crystal on Sauria, I've been head-over-heels for you." Fox allowed himself to laugh a little. "Sounds crazy, right? I mean, who hears of love at first sight anymore? But that's what happened to me. I love you, Krys. From the top of my headfur to the bottom of my toes. I think you're the most beautiful girl that ever graced Lylat. No one else has your looks. But that's not all I like about you. You're sweet, you're the most caring fox I've met, and you have the greatest smile. A sincere smile from you can make my day, any day." Fox sighed. "Well, that's really all I've got to say...Like I said, I don't really know if you feel the same way about me, but I wanted you to know just the same. Come back to me, Krys," he finished, his voice choked. He leaned closer and gently planted a kiss on her velvety cheek. He gently slipped his hand into hers, then gasped sharply when he felt her grip slightly tighten. 'She knows! I don't know how, but she knows!'

"Oh...Krys," Fox murmured. A small smile came to his face. There was _hope_, now. He placed his free arm on the bed and laid his head on it, and, still smiling, fell asleep.


	8. Chapter VIII: Strange Powers

The other members of the Starfox team, however, were neither smiling or sleeping. The three members of the team of mercenaries recently had entered the medicenter, where Slippy had applied his engineering expertise to construct a remote device with which they could monitor Krystal's brain activity, and now they watched wide-eyed as the affliction known as _Ha'lar Marai_ was steadily deteriorating Krystal's mind.

"There has to be something we can do!" Falco exclaimed, pounding a fist into his hand. "We can't just let her die...not after all she's done."

Peppy blinked. 'Falco, emotional?' he thought. 'Now there's a first.' Krystal and Falco had hit it off from the beginning. While Falco was the ranked ace pilot, Krystal definitely had shown her prowess with an Arwing many times over. The funny thing about it all was that Falco didn't seem too mad about her stealing some of his limelight. But Peppy knew that there would never be nothing more than a strong friendship between them. Krystal was in love with Fox, and he with her, even if neither one of them could see it. And Falco, though he refused to admit it, liked Katt Monroe.

"You're right, birdbrain, for once," Slippy replied.

"Hey, can it, Slip-up," Falco retorted. "Just tell me if there's anything we can do. You're our resident medical expert."

"But I have no idea what's going on here. This isn't normal mental deterioration. If it was, there are plenty of treatments available for it. What did Taylor call it?"

"Psionics," Peppy interjected.

"Right. Psionics. Whatever they are, I would bet that it's having a strong effect on whatever's going on here."

Falco threw up his hands. "Thank you, Captain Obvious."

"Hey, look," Slippy shot back, "I'm trying to do the best I can with the resources available to me, all right, feather-breath? You try to do my job, and we'll see where we end up!"

Falco took a menacing step towards Slippy. "Watch it, frogger! You're in deep water now!"

Peppy stepped in between the warring mercenaries. "Boys!" he snapped. "That's quite enough! This isn't doing Krystal any good!"

Falco and Slippy looked at Peppy, then at each other. "You're right, Peppy," Slippy sighed.

"Yeah, gotta agree with the toad, gramps," Falco seconded.

Peppy opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when a loud beeping sound emanated from the device that Slippy had quickly thrown together. "What's goin' on, Slip?" Peppy asked.

"I don't know...it's Fox!" Slippy exclaimed.

"What?" Falco quirked an eyebrow.

"I'm not really sure, but somehow he's in Krystal's mind!"

"Is..that even possible?"

"Apparently it is," Slippy gasped. "And look at this...his energy patterns are going nuts! His brainwaves are off the charts!"

Peppy's eyes quickly roved the screen, then he gasped sharply. "I--I've seen this before...but--but it's not possible!"

"What is it, gramps?" Falco asked.

"It's all coming into place, now," Peppy murmured. "The Reshetell, Taylor...Now I know where I've heard of them!" He suddenly realized Falco had spoken. "No time to explain now," he replied. "I have to find Taylor!" He turned, the sprinted out of the medicenter. Neither Falco or Slippy had ever seen Peppy move that fast. They exchanged confused glances, then wordlessly agreed to follow Peppy.


	9. Chapter IX: Connections

Taylor laid in his bed, unable to sleep. He stared blankly at the ceiling, trying to figure out a solution to their problem. 'I can't just give up,' he thought. 'It'd be like if someone gave up on Star. Fox loves Krystal just as much as I love Star. We're really not that different.' After a few more minutes of thought, Taylor sat bolt upright. 'I've got it!' he crowed. 'If no one's gone in there...which is doubtful, considering the _riil_...ugh! I hate them. Still, it's gotta be done. It's the only way we can save Krystal.' Taylor took a deep breath, then exhaled. He climbed out of his bed, then made his way down the hallway. 'I need to find someplace quiet,' Taylor thought. 'Otherwise I won't be able to concentrate enough to get into the Archives.' The Archives were not actually a physical place, but a 'mental dimension' of sorts, created by ancient Guardians to house their knowledge. However, in recent months, strange creatures had been entering the Archives. Their intent was unknown, but assumed malign. They had attacked a few of the members of the Iri Felessar on occasion, but so far they posed nothing more than a minor annoyance. Taylor turned down a side hall and smoothly entered the reading room, a room that was in effect, a minature library with a few pieces of furniture and lighting for readers who desired a more personal atmosphere. He saw Jacen sitting on a chair, reading a rather thick book, mumbling something in Altairian every so often.

"Hey, Jace," Taylor murmured, smiling slightly.

"Hey, boss," Jacen replied, looking up.

"Find anything?" Taylor asked.

Jacen sighed, shaking his head. "No..."

Taylor clenched his fist. "Dammit."

Jacen closed the book with a soft _whump_. "Don't take this the wrong way, boss," he began, "but why are you so interested in these guys, anyway? I mean, I know it's our job to help people when and where we can, but you're reacting almost as if it was one of us..."

Taylor sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I don't really know," he said. "I almost feel a personal connection with Fox...I don't know why..." He stared at the ceiling for a few moments, trying to form a coherent explanation. "I was a pretty big fan of the games when they were released back on Earth, but I just thought they were sci-fi characters. Nothing real. But then, when I saw Krystal hurt, and when I saw how Fox reacted, it reminded me of me when I thought Star was dead. So I want to do everything I can to help...even if it doesn't work," Taylor finished with a sigh.

Jacen nodded. "I understand. Well, I'm with you all the way, and I think Jeresh and Star will be, too."

Taylor nodded and smiled. "Thanks, Jace."

"By the way, why are you here so late, man?" Jacen asked.

"Ah, that," Taylor said. "I had an idea that might help us find some sort of solution to _Ha'lar Marai_."

Jacen raised an eyebrow. "Really? What?"  
"The Archives," Taylor replied simply.

"The Archives?" Jacen blinked in surprise. "I thought they had been declared off-limits since the _riil_ started attacking."

Taylor shuddered a little. "Ugh...yeah, but I'm ducking the red tape."

"...Again," Jacen added with a smirk.

"Very funny, man," Taylor laughed.

"Yeah, I know," Jacen shot back, then became serious. "Hey, if you really are going into the Archives, I'm going to keep an eye on you." He pulled a small device from his pocket and pressed a few buttons on it, activating it. "This'll monitor your vitals. If anything weird starts happening, I'm comin' in after you."

Taylor smirked. "You know weird is my middle name."

"I'm serious!" Jacen exclaimed. "These _riil_ are really something else."

Taylor threw up his hands. "All right, all right!" He allowed Jacen to strap the device onto his wrist, and was about to focus his mind for entry into the Archives, when he suddenly heard pounding footsteps coming down the hallway. Taylor and Jacen scrambled to change into their 'morph forms as a panting Peppy dashed into the Reading Room, looking exhausted.

"Taylor!" he gasped. "Thank fortune I found you!"

"Whoa, Peppy!" Taylor exclaimed, placing a hand on the hare's shoulder. "Take it easy. Slow down and take a breath. Then you can tell me what's going on."

Peppy nodded, then leaned down to put his hands on his knees and catch his breath. When he had, he straightened, and bowed formally to Taylor and Jacen. "I am sorry for not properly greeting you before, _Jelet're'el_," he said. His voice had now acquired a tone that Taylor had never heard before. It was one of deep reverence.

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "Wait. How do you know who I am?" He didn't think he told Starfox about his being the _Jelet're'el_.

"You are the leader of the _Iri Felessar_, yes?" Peppy asked. Taylor could only blankly nod, now completely confused. Jacen seemed to be just as lost. "I thought as much," Peppy mused. "You see, I come here before you now for your help. Fox has found a way to telepathically link, physically as well as mentally, with Krystal. I believe he is--" Peppy had to choose his wording carefully, "--awakening--but without proper guidance, he will be lost and confused."

"Wait," Taylor replied. "Awakening? Physically bonded? I thought Krystal was the telepath, not Fox."

'I see the contact had a wider implication than was first assumed,' Peppy thought. "Yes," Peppy said, "Krystal is a telepath, but that may be the extent of her powers. Fox, on the other hand, has a whole host of psionic powers."

"By whose blood?" Taylor asked. "I didn't exactly think James was a psion." Taylor fleetingly realized he was trading information about the Starfox team, some that he wasn't supposed to have, with one of its members. But he had to know how Fox was a psion.

Jacen suddenly entered into the conversation. "No--" he breathed. "James wasn't...but Fox's mother was..." A single name escaped his lips, one that Taylor had never heard before. "Lierra...that was her name." Taylor looked back at Peppy, who nodded solemnly.

"She was the leader of a group of psionic warriors known as the Freedom Fighters; they were actually quite similar to your group," Peppy mused. "About twenty years ago, Lylat was under the vicious, tyrannical rule of a villain named Arellinn. The Lylat System is, in actuality, a collection of three star systems; Lylat, Nerej, and Vash. A small planet in the Vash system began a resistance movement to Arellinn's efforts. To prove her power over us, Arellinn annihilated the rebels."

A name suddenly sprang to Taylor's lips. "Cerinia..." Taylor breathed, then suddenly blinked in surprise. "I've heard that name before!"

Peppy tilted his head. "Heard of it? Where?" He didn't think the Terrans had known about _that_. When they had contacted Earth, Fox was still just a fresh cadet out of flight school and had just formed the new Team Starfox; he was nowhere near to meeting Krystal then.

"All the pieces are starting to come together now..." Taylor murmured, then spoke to Peppy and Jacen, who looked just as bewildered as the hare. "A few months back, I was confronted by a furre on the planet Rydia, who gave me a mysterious message and a letter," he said. "They said, 'Give this to the princess of Cerinia. Her, and her alone.' I thought that I had misheard him, or that maybe this might even be some sort of joke. But then, yesterday, when Adek called Krystal the Cerinian princess, and when you mentioned the planet; that caused everything to come back to me."

Jacen nodded. "And I had heard of Fox before, too, I just didn't remember it until now. My father once said to me: 'If the one born of Fire who is drawn to ice ever comes to you, be ready to help him, my son.' He's the One born of Fire," he said.

Taylor gasped. "What? No way..." he breathed. The One born of Fire was supposed to be a legend; a myth. According to the stories, the One born of Fire was an intensely poweful psion, one whose powers outstripped even Taylor's. He would be the one who would bring final peace between humanoids and 'morphs. Taylor, though he had heard the stories, had never bought into them--until now.

Taylor looked over at Peppy. "Well, now, I guess there's no more need for this ruse, at least around you, Peppy," he said. He turned to Jacen and nodded, and, as one, the two warriors transformed back into their natural forms.

A soft gasp slipped from Peppy's lips. "I have never seen a humanoid personally before," he said. "You have a certain--unique grace about you; something that puts to rest all of the belief of you being 'hairless beasts,' as is the common thought."

Taylor chuckled slightly. "Thank you, Peppy. Not all races have been so tolerant," he grinned.

Taylor turned to Jacen. "Let's see what we can do to help Krystal."

"What can I do?" asked Peppy.

"You're not a telepath, are you?"

"Not that I know of," Peppy replied with a small smile.

"Then wait here and watch these monitors," Taylor replied, strapping one of the small devices to his wrist, then tossing another to Jacen. "If anything happens, find Star and Jeresh. They'll know what to do."

Peppy nodded. "All right.

Taylor looked over at Jacen. "Let's do this, man!"

Jacen flashed a thumbs-up. "I'm with you all the way, Taylor."

As one, the two warriors closed their eyes, and began to chant an ancient rune: "_Iri Felessaren, varrahá deláa nu áesh berec j'harell Ioeress kirá shenereq_." Even through closed eyelids, the bright flash of light stunned the pair. When it faded, they opened their eyes, blinking a few times, then stood. Looking at each other, they wordlessly agreed on a plan of action, then split up, jogging through the aisles of the library-like Archives in search of answers.


	10. Chapter X: Pieces Falling Into Place

Falco and Slippy stealthily crept down the corridors, following Peppy, making sure not to attract his attention. 'Wonder what he's doin...' Slippy thought.

'I wonder why Peppy's bein' so stealthy about this,' Falco wondered. Suddenly Peppy made a sharp turn into a side room, and Slippy and Falco flattened themselves against the wall and crept closer to the doorway. Slippy peered around the threshhold just in time to see Peppy talking with Taylor, and see Taylor and Jacen change out of their 'morph forms and show Peppy their true form. Slippy gasped. 'They're human!'

Suddenly Peppy turned, and Slippy flattened himself against the wall, panting.

"What is it, Slip?" Falco hissed.

"Peppy almost saw me," Slippy whispered back.

"Why are we being so sneaky about this?" Falco asked. "Why don't we just go in there?"

"Because...I don't think Peppy wants us to know about this, otherwise he would have asked us to come along."

"Then why are we here? We shouldn't be prying into Peppy's private business..."

"That's exactly it! Peppy doesn't usually _have_ any private business, so this must be really big if he's keeping it hush-hush."

Falco nodded in agreement. "I getcha, now."

Once again, Slippy peered around the doorway, and this time, he was met with the firm auburn eyes of Peppy's gaze. Slippy recoiled in shock, then tried to hide again, hoping Peppy hadn't seen him, but it was a futile hope. "You can come out, now, boys," Peppy sighed. "I guess there's nothing to hide now."

Falco punched Slippy in the arm. "Way to go, Slip-up! Now he knows we're here!"

"Ow!" Slippy exclaimed, rubbing his arm. "If you were so desperate to stay invisible, _you_ should have been the lookout!"

The pair of would-be spies slunk into the Reading Room, their heads hanging low. "Sorry, gramps," Falco mumbled.

"What have I told you guys about keeping your noses out of my business?" Peppy reprimanded, shaking a finger in their faces. "You know better!" Suddenly his expression softened, and he smiled a little. "I'm not mad at you guys," he said, and Falco and Slippy gasped, their heads quickly rising. "The only reason I keep secrets from you at all is for your own safety." Peppy pointed to the Terran and the Altairian sitting on the floor, now in a deep state of mental focus. "I wanted to make sure these guys were on the level; that they really were with the _Iri Felessar_." Peppy took a deep breath, then continued. "If they had been with the Venmar, things would have gotten hairy."

"There're _more_ psions?" Falco gasped. The sentiment was echoed by Slippy.

Peppy nodded grimly. "They are the powerful minions of a twisted maniac known as M'ser, who is bent on revenge against the _Iri Felessar_ for exiling him fifteen years ago. And he will destroy anyone or anything that gets in his way."

"So, you think that M'ser might actually be the one behind all of this?"

Peppy tilted his head. "I don't really know. It's possible. If so," and he paused, indicating Taylor and Jacen, "They're the only ones who can stop him."

"What about Krystal?" Falco asked. "When she was fighting Adek, some sort of light beams started flying out of her hands. They were certainly powerful enough to stun that guy!"

Peppy sighed, looking down. "I don't know if she'll even recover. I have heard of one person who was--" he searched for a word, "--cured of _Ha'lar Marai_, but I don't know how it was done."

Slippy pounded a fist into his palm. "Then we're back at square one."

"Not quite," Peppy said, once again pointing to Taylor and Jacen. "They've gone into the Archives to see if it holds any information concerning our quandary."

Falco and Slippy smiled then. "Sounds good," Falco said. The three members of Team Starfox sat down on various chairs in the reading room to wait for Taylor and Jacen's return.


	11. Chapter XI: New Identity

Fox awoke with a gasp and sat bolt upright. "Where--?" he began, then looked down at Krystal sleeping on the cot. "Oh, right..." he sighed. A single tear trickled down his face. He felt so helpless, just sitting here, watching her die. He glanced at the several screens that monitored Krystal's condition, and gasped slightly. A mute record to the events of last night, the monitor showed a positive spike in Krystal's brainwave activity around the time of Fox's dream and his affections. 'She _could_ hear me!' he realized with a start, and gently placed a hand on Krystal's cheek. "Oh...hold on Krys," he murmured. With resolve, Fox stood, then strode out of the medicenter and down the hallways in search of the mysterious Taylor.

As he walked through corridors, however, his jubilation gradually became rage. Not at Taylor, but the cause of this whole mess. "Adek," Fox growled. "He will _pay_ for what he has done!" Fox roared, then blinked, surprised at his own vehemence. He was supposed to be the calm one of the team, but as he thought about it, he began to realize that words like calm and collected were thrown out the window when his world was turned on its ear by Adek and Scales. His lip curved into a snarl, then he leaned back against a bulkhead and sighed. "I'm not doing Krys any good by just being mad. I have to vent before I'm any good to her." He decided the best way to do this would be to spar, either with someone or alone. Fox decided it was better if he sparred alone; he didn't want to accidentally hurt someone. Now, for a location. His quarters were too small to really do anything. He wondered if there was a gym or an arena in this ship. He assumed there would be one, due to its great size; there certainly was room. He asked a passing crewman if there was a gym on board, and the reply was an affirmative. He recieved directions, and a few moments later, was headed down the corridors to the gymnasium. "Taylor's been really kind to me and my team," Fox murmured as he walked. "Well, everyone has. For non 'morphs, the people here are just as friendly as we are. I'll have to remember to thank them when this is all over..."

A few minutes later, Fox stood in front of the gymnasium's doors. He stepped toward them, and they smoothly slid open. As Fox walked into the facility, he recieved sympathetic smiles and friendly waves from a few Altairians who were also in the gym; exercising, sparring, and weightlifting. Fox managed an amiable smile in return, but inside he was in turmoil. 'The only way I can think straight again is if I calm my mind, and the only way I can do that is through sparring.' He walked to a corner of the gym and stood in front of a punching bag. Bowing formally to an imagined enemy, Fox fell back into a fighting stance. He was skilled in several styles of martial arts, and had proven his prowess with weapons many times over, the most recent being the Saurian adventure.

With a short yell, Fox attacked the punching bag with a flurried series of strikes, kicks, and combos. As he continued his onslaught, his rage seemed to grow, instead of abating. Fox now backed away from the punching bag, and imagined he was facing a group of opponents, each tougher than the last. Then, suddenly, unbidden, an image of Adek leapt into his mind's eye. With a roar, Fox leapt upon his foe, but Adek sidestepped each one of his attacks, taunting Fox. "You will _pay_ for what you have done to Krys!" Fox bellowed, and suddenly, his entire body was bathed in white light. He began to glow brighter and brighter, and, with a yell, obliterated the specter of Adek with an energy blast generated from his hands. The blast also took a section of the wall with it, causing surprised gasps from the spectators who had witnessed Fox's fury and transformation. The attack had left him weak, and he crumpled to the floor, panting. The last thing Fox heard before he blacked out was an Altairian calling for help.

Star and Jeresh stood over the now unconscious Fox, who lay in a cot beside Krystal. "Tell me what happened--exactly as you saw it, Jin'ra," Jeresh said, turning to an Altairian.

"Well, sir," the young man began, looking flustered, "Fox walked into the gym, I guess to do some sparring. He squared off against a punching bag then began a fluid series of forms. Then, out of nowhere, he turns around and starts fighting the air, sir..." Jin'ra let his voice trail off nervously.

Star turned to Jin'ra, smiling slightly. "Don't be nervous, Jin'ra," she said. "Please, continue."

He nodded slowly. "Then Fox shouted something, I think it was, 'I will make you pay for what you have done to Krys,' and then his entire body started to glow bright white. Then he blasted a hole in the wall with an energy blast, the same as you guys can do...is he a psion, too?"

Star and Jeresh looked at each other, both mystified. "Not that we know of," Jeresh replied in his soft bass voice.

"Is there anything else?" Star asked.

Jin'ra shook his head. "No, ma'am."

Star smiled gently. "It's Star, Jin'ra, not ma'am."

"All right, m--Star," Jin'ra replied, smiling, then walked out.

Jeresh turned to his half-sister. "Fox? A psion?"

"Could he be--?"

"The One born of Fire?" Jeresh finished. "Impossible...isn't it?"

"I don't know," Star replied. "After the past few days, nothing would surprise me."


	12. Chapter XII: Through Evil's Eyes

Several sectors away, in his flagship, Adek vented his rage. "_Ji'can khret chominek_!" he swore. "_Lirell moné ke'nach_!" He roared violently; an inhuman noise, and suddenly bolts of dark energy spewed from his hands, obliterating four Venmar standing nearby, while the rest ducked for cover. Scales also dove under a table while Adek voiced his fury. "What is Lirren doing here?" Adek thundered. "Everything was going flawlessly until he decided to stick that Terran nose of his into _my_ plans."

Scales was about to say that they were _his_ plans, too, then thought better of it. Adek was his financial backer in this venture, and had enough power to destroy him in a heartbeat if he so desired. Scales hoped that he didn't so desire.

Adek ran a hand over his face, exhaling mightily. "But no matter." As quickly as it had come, Adek's fit was over. "I nearly crushed that infinitesimal flea once...I can do it again!" He laughed maniacally, a sound that sent shivers down the spines of the assembled Venmar. Adek was a skilled commander, of that there was no doubt. What was in doubt, however, was his sanity. The Tivernessian had always been a little--unpredictable, but since he had first tangled with the leader of the _Iri Felessar_, Adek's temper was a bit shorter, and his mood swings were wilder.

With his flowing cape billowing behind him, Adek exited the navigation room and strode down the corridors to his private chambers. "Scales; come," he said as he left. Scales blinked in surprise, but followed as was ordered. He could see now that it would be very unwise to anger this man.

Once the pair had reached Adek's chambers, Adek seated himself on an ornate chair behind a smoothly polished desk, gesturing for Scales to sit across from him. Adek folded his hands and placed them primly on the desk, the tyrant of before having completely vanished, like fog into the sun. "I suppose I should let you in on a few things, Scales," he began, "if we are to be true partners in this venture. Especially now, considering the arrival of that pest, Lirren."

"Sir?" Scales asked.

Adek sighed, running a hand through his black hair. "I have a problem where before there was none. I was perfectly willing to help you build a stronghold and defeat team Starfox...it would help me in the end, as well; one less threat to my rise to power. Unfortunately, that idiotic hero Lirren Shentai and his band of fools have now begun to interfere in my affairs. This I cannot tolerate. However, where I have been unable to defeat them alone, we will be able to crush them, together!"

Despite his previous reservations, Scales smiled wickedly. This Adek was definitely someone he could associate with. Vile, cruel, and even a little unpredictable... "I will assist you in whatever you need, Evil One," Scales said, bowing.

Adek nodded briskly. "Good. Now then, where were we? Oh, yes. I was going to clear some things up for you...You see, Scales, I am in a war with a persistent pest, by the name of Lirren Shentai. He is a psion, as am I. That is the explanation for some of the--strange events you witnessed during our battle. It appears that the Princess is also psionic. No matter, with _Ha'lar Marai_ doing its job, she will soon be out of the way."

Scales tilted his head. "Excuse me, _Drach'na_, but what exactly is a psion?"

"Ah, yes. Psions are one type of mage. There are, in total, four types of mages who can affect the world around them in different ways. Arcanes use verbal spells and incantations to accomplish magical feats; they have the widest range of power. Psychics can use telepathy, telekinesis, teleportation, and transformation to achieve their goals; their power is more limited. More specialized still; the elementals. They control matter itself at its molecular form. For example, an elemental could call the stone from the earth and send it flying forth, or hurl shards of ice at an opponent. And finally...the psions." As Adek spoke, a sphere of white energy flashed into existence, hovering a few centimeters above the palm of his hand. "They can draw energy from the world around them and turn it into any shape...beautiful...or deadly." The ball of energy first changed into a fabulous white rose, then into a shard of crystalline power that was razor-sharp.

Scales blinked, then grinned. "With such power, we shall crush Starfox and this...pest of yours, Lirren."

Adek cackled malevolently. "Good, Scales! I'm glad you see things--my way." Adek leaned forward slightly and pressed a small button on the desk. "Sh'rov!" he barked.

A small screen rose from a hidden panel on the desk, and the face of a Reshetell commander appeared on it. The creature bowed deeply. "Yes, Dark One?"

"Prepare the ship! Set a course for the Lylat System!"

"Yes sir!"

Scales chuckled softly. 'Finally, I can have my revenge on Fox McCloud and Krystal!'

Suddenly, the screen that Adek had activated beeped, signifying an incoming message. A strange insignia appeared on-screen, one Scales did not recognize. It must have had some significance to Adek, however, for when he saw it, he gasped and he shakily pressed the button on the desk to receive the transmission. "Y-yes, Great Lord?" Adek stammered.

"ADEK!" a voice thundered. It sounded to Scales like it was altered, somehow. "Why have you allowed that infinitesimal flea to defeat you yet again?"

Adek bowed. "I apologize, my lord, but Taylor has grown stronger since our last encounter. However, I do have news to report," Adek said nervously.

"Yes?" the voice sounded annoyed.

"I have discovered the identity of the Cerinian Princess," Adek said.

A pair of glowing red eyes suddenly appeared on the screen. "The one born of Ice? Who?" demanded the voice.

"A vixen named K-Krystal, Great Lord," Adek stammered. "Krystal Devrec. She seems to have a strong connection with another fox now joined with the _Iri Felessar_."

"Then he is the One Born of Fire," the voice murmured, then suddenly resumed its thunderous tone. "You must stop him before his powers are fully developed! No one can stop me, except him!"

"Y--yes, lord," Adek stammered.

Suddenly a form stepped into a dim light on-screen, and Scales could now see the source of the voice. The red eyes belonged to a black-furred wolf with white fur markings. Scales could also see the tops of dark blue wings behind the 'morph. The wolf smiled gently. "Do not worry, Adek. Though Taylor has won this battle, the war will still be ours. There is no way that this fox can control his powers yet, and training him how to will take time. Before he can be trained, he will be killed. You have done well today, Adek."

"Thank you, lord!" Adek smiled, bowing low.

"I will take care of this pestilence...myself," the wolf sneered, baring rows of razor-sharp canines.


	13. Chapter XIII: The Archives

Taylor and Jacen opened their eyes, and looked at each other. "You know what we're looking for," Taylor said.

Jacen nodded. "Yeah," he replied.

"Good." The two warriors rose, then split up, jogging through the Archives in search of an answer. The Archives were designed around the central entrance portal. Rings of shelves surrounded the portal. The shelves themselves were filled with small blue chips which were inserted into a small device which allowed the contents of the chip to be viewed holographically. Taylor wandered through the aisles, not really knowing what he was looking for, when he stopped and pulled one of the chips from its slot. The description under the chip read; "_Dar jillak ra Jelet're'el_, _H'lenna Shentai_. The journal of the _Jelet're'el_, H'lenna Shentai."

Taylor smiled slightly. "Okay, Mom...let's see if you can help me." He inserted the card into his wrist communicator and, obligingly, a holographic page of the journal appeared in the air. Taylor skimmed the entries, searching for the words "_Ha'lar Marai_." He stopped when he found the phrase, then searched upward until he found the beginning of the entry.

"Date: 13-15-45. Today was a dark day in my term as _Jelet're'el_. My best friend, the Rigellian T'rill, has fallen to the deadly affliction _Ha'lar Marai_. I had hoped that this day would never come; that this year would be as quiet and uneventful as the last, even with the war with Hevadar. I was sadly mistaken. We had been fighting a battle against the Hevadarans and their psionic army, and we thought the fight was over, when a strange robed figure appeared out of nowhere in front of me and T'rill. We tried to talk with him, but he said nothing. He just held out his hand, and it glowed a dim red, and T'rill screamed and fell to the ground. Then the _iloen_ finally said something.

"The cycle must end here. I cannot be stopped." I tried blasting him, but my attacks literally bounced off of him. He said "I cannot be stopped," one more time, then vanished. I rushed T'rill to the medicenter, and our best minds began working on a way to save her, but so far, no progress has been made, and with each passing day, hope fades that there ever will be." That was the end of the entry. Taylor sighed. "Dammit." Nothing. Although, there was some good news to this. T'rill was still alive on Rigel today, so that meant she had to have been cured somehow. Taylor scrolled down through the next few entries, not really finding anything, and he began to wonder if H'lenna had even mentioned how T'rill was cured, when he hit the jackpot. "Date: 15-7-45. Success! A cure has been found! T'rill will live! After months of searching, finally a solution. If this horror ever manifests itself again, and I pray on the gods it does not, talk to Jaren. He will know what to do." Taylor pulled the chip out of his communicator and placed it back in its slot, then sighed, feeling like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Jacen!" he called. "I've got it!"

Jacen's head poked from around an aisle. "Got what, boss?"

"The cure," Taylor smiled. "Krystal will live!"

Jacen grinned. "Awesome. So now what do we do?"  
"We talk to the man who knows the cure," Taylor said simply.

"And that would be--"

"Your father," Taylor said. "Jaren Ryan."

Jacen blinked in surprise, then began to reply, but never got the chance. He was cut off by the sharp sound of metal clacking against the tiled floor of the Archives.

"_Riil_," Taylor groaned.

"Ugh...I was hoping we could avoid them," Jacen said.

"It's between us and the portal. We have to fight it," Taylor whispered.

Jacen groaned. "I hate fighting these things. They're too smart for bugs. Something's not right about a smart bug."

Taylor chuckled softly, then quickly ducked behind a shelf of books as the _riil_ stalked by. 'How do these damn things get in here?' he wondered. They obviously weren't intelligent enough to use telepathy, so they couldn't have gotten in here on their own. Taylor stepped out from behind the aisle and shouted to the creature. "Hey, bug breath! You want a piece of me?" The _riil_ turned, and Taylor shivered slightly when he saw the single pulsating blue orb that was the beast's eye. It was so cold, so calculating. It was hard to believe that any natural creature could possess such mechanical precision. The _riil_ roared, then lowered its head and charged Taylor, sparks shooting along the floor. At the last second, Taylor rolled out of the way and dragged his saber along the side of the _riil_, slicing it cleanly lengthwise. The two pieces of the creature crackled, then were lifeless.

Taylor sighed and shook his head. "These things are getting to be a nuisance," he groaned.

"I agree," Jacen replied. "I--" he was cut off as the sound of another _rill_ scrabbling across the floor was heard. "This one's mine," Jacen grinned.

Taylor grinned back. "All right."

Taylor and Jacen re-activated their delta sabers and crept in the direction of the noise. Suddenly, the two warriors heard the sharp hiss of a blade being drawn, a rush of air, then the death-screech of the _riil_. Taylor blinked, and exchanged surprised looks with Jacen. 'Eyes open,' Taylor said telepathically to Jacen.

As one, Taylor and Jacen leapt out from behind the shelf and confronted--a near clone of Taylor's 'morph form, standing over a large _riil_.

The fox looked up, and called to them. "Hey, you! What do ya call this thing?" he asked, poking the dead _rill_ with a foot.

Taylor raised en eyebrow. He could tell right away that this guy wasn't exactly a philanthropist. "It's a _riil_," Taylor replied. "It means 'bug'."

"_Riil_, eh?" the fox replied. "It sure fits."

"So, who are you, anyway?" Jacen asked.

The fox sheathed his sword and crossed his arms. "Just why, exactly, should I tell you?"

Jacen sighed and rolled his eyes. 'Don't mess with me,' he thought. "Why? Because you're on our turf, fox. So that means you do what we say."

"'That means you do what we say,'" the fox mimicked. "So, who died and made you God, eh?"

Taylor shook his head. "Look, I don't really care who you are. However, like he said, you're on our turf, and this is private. You have two options: One, you can leave peaceably, or two, we can throw you out."

The fox sneered. "Just who do you think you are, anyway?"

'You're about to find out,' Taylor muttered. He sprinted towards the fox and knocked him flat with an energy-boosted palm strike. The fox hit the floor, stunned, and Taylor dragged him to the portal entrance. With a shove, the fox was out of the Archives, and back to wherever he had been.

"Well, that'll get him back to where he was before," Jacen said. "We're gonna have to put stronger blocks around this place."

Taylor nodded, sitting on the steps to the portal, thinking. "He couldn't have been a psion, or at least a very strong one," Taylor said. "My attack really wasn't that powerful, and it knocked him flat. That means he couldn't have gotten in here without help, and that could only mean one thing..."

"Adek, somehow, has gotten access to the Archives," Jacen finished.

Taylor nodded. "But right now, we have more important things to worry about. Krystal's life is in jeopardy, and we hold the key to saving her."

"Or, rather, Dad does," Jacen replied.

"Right," Taylor nodded. Jacen held out his hand and pulled Taylor to his feet, then the pair of warriors walked out of the Archives.


	14. Chapter XIV: A Solution Presents Itself

Taylor and Jacen opened their eyes, back in the real world, and were helped to their feet by Slippy and Falco. Taylor looked at Peppy. "They know?"

Peppy rose from the chair he had been sitting in and walked over to Taylor. "Yes. I can assume, then, by your presence here, that either a solution has been found, or you're moving on to plan B?" the hare asked.

Taylor grinned. "There is a cure. Krystal can be saved," he said.

Peppy beamed, and Falco and Slippy exchanged high-fives. "Whoo-hoo!"

"Krystal's gonna be okay!"

Jacen smiled to himself. 'I can see, now, why Taylor was so adamant about helping the Starfox team,' he thought. 'They have the same sense of camaraderie that we do. Their group is just as tightly-knit as ours is.'

Falco turned to Taylor. "So, Taylor, what now?"

"We head to Altair," Taylor said. "Jacen's father, Jaren Ryan, knows how to cure _He'lar Marai_."

Falco nodded. "Well, then, the less time wasted, the better. Let's get going."

--

Fox blinked a few times, not really wishing to open his eyes fully to the bright light beyond his eyelids. "Ooh, what happened?" he moaned. He tried to sit up, but a white-furred hand gently pushed him back on the bed. "Easy, Fox. You're in no condition to be going anywhere, yet," a soft voice to his left said. Fox turned to his left, and saw an attractive young foxgirl standing over him. "You must be Star," Fox said. Fox allowed himself a slight smile. He could see why Taylor liked her.

The girl nodded. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Tired, very tired, but other than that, I'm fine," Fox said. "Why? What exactly happened to me earlier?"

As if on cue, a large black wolf stepped into Fox's field of view. He smiled slightly. "Hello, Fox," he said. "My name is Jeresh. I'm Star's half sister." The lupine's smile slowly faded, and his orange eyes acquired a strange glow. "Fox, how much do you know about the legend of the One born of Fire?" he asked.

Fox worked his way into a sitting position despite Star's protestations, and scratched an ear thoughtfully. "Hmm. Not much, only that he or she was prophesied to be a super-psion, and he was supposed to bring total unity to the--" his voice trailed off. "Wait a minute. I've seen movies like this before," he said. "You're gonna tell me that I'm the One, right?"

Jeresh chuckled softly. "You catch on pretty quick, Fox. Yeah, something like that," he said.

Fox shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I'm not your guy. Sure, I match some of the characteristics, but a lot of them can be found in anyone with a kind nature. And besides, doesn't the One have to be descended from a psion? Even if everything else added up, neither my mother nor my father are psions. Heroes, definitely, but not psions."

Jeresh shook his head. "That's not entirely true," he said. "Your mother was the leader of the Freedom Fighters, and, even though by the time she had you she was 'retired,' many of her enemies still had the power to destroy her. She changed her name and hid on Corneria to protect herself and you."

Fox placed a hand on his forehead and whistled softly. "Whoa..." he thought. 'These guys have to be telling the truth, as nutty as it is,' Fox thought. 'I mean, what else can explain what I did in the gym earlier?'

"All right, so um--now that I know I'm a superhero, what exactly comes next? Hero school?"

Jeresh laughed. "Actually, yeah, something like that. Taylor will teach you how to use your powers once you've recovered enough. As you can see, an uncontrolled release of your powers can leave you in a dangerous situation. If your blast had been much stronger, it could have killed you," he said.

Fox nodded, then slid off of the edge of the bed and stood before Jeresh. "Then the sooner I get started, the better."

"Wait, you're in no condition to--" Star began.

"Look, Krystal's lying on a cot in your medicenter because I wasn't strong enough to protect her. These new powers may still not be enough to save her, but on my father's honor, I swear I will make Scales and Adek pay for what they have done!" Fox vowed, his green eyes alight. He turned, and jogged out of the medicenter, headed down the corridors of the battlecruiser.


	15. Chapter XV: Once More Into the Breach

Taylor, Jacen and Team Starfox had left the Archives and were heading to the bridge when Taylor suddenly stopped. "What is it, boss?" Jacen asked.

Taylor held up a hand. "Wait..." he jogged to a computer terminal and pulled up a holographic view of the external sensors. He flipped through the various screens; stopping suddenly when he saw a flash of light off of the ship's port bow. "Shit," he muttered. Punching another combination of buttons, Taylor accessed the ship's comlinks. "Red alert!" he ordered. "All hands to battle stations! This is not a drill!"

"Whoa, Taylor, what's goin' on?" Falco asked. "What's with the red alert? What was that flash of light?"

"M'ser's battleship is dropping out of warp," Taylor said. "Why he didn't come any closer than that baffles me. He must be pretty confident if he's letting us know he's here." He turned to the group. "We defend the cruiser! It's your choice Falco, Slippy, and Peppy if you want to join us."

The three mercenaries nodded. "Let's go blow up some goons!" Falco hooted, raising a fist.

Taylor smiled. "All right, guys!" He dashed off, headed for the hangars, the rest of the group close behind.

--

When Fox heard the alarm klaxon, he didn't think. He just reacted on instinct. He headed down the corridors in the direction of the hangar, sprinting faster and faster. 'Whoever we're fighting,' Fox thought, 'I can't let them touch this ship. Krys's life depends on it.'

Fox reached the hangar and discovered a hive of activity. Dozens of Altairian pilots stood by their ships, flight helmets in hand. All eyes were turned to the front of the hangar, where Taylor, Jacen, and Team Starfox less Fox stood. Fox jogged up to them and whispered a question to Falco.

"Some guy named M'ser's got a battleship hoverin' about a half SM from here. Apparently, that's a bad thing," Falco whispered back.

Suddenly, the ship shook, sending pilots to the deck. "What was that?" Fox asked.

"Lieutenant Jin'ra to Taylor! There's another cruiser out here about 6 microquads away...it just appeared out of nowhere, sir! No de-cloak, no nothin'."

"All right!" Taylor shouted to the pilots who were now climbing to their feet. "We launch, now! The odds are against us. M'ser has two battleships to our one. But we've faced odds like this before, and come out the winners. All I ask is all I've ever asked from you. Stay by your wingmate, keep the blasters cool, and never, ever give up!"

Pilots raised their helmets and cheered, then scrambled into their fighters. Falco, Slippy, Peppy and Fox dashed off to their Arwings.

"Jin'ra!" Taylor called from his comlink. "Open the hangars!"

"Right away, sir!" Jin'ra replied. A low, droning alarm klaxon began to sound in the hangar bay, and the top and bottom halves of the massive door at the end of the hangar began to separate. Instantly, the bay began to depressurize. The fighters began powering up their engines and started rising off the hangar bay floor slightly. The doors retracted fully, and Taylor could now see a swarm of fighters pouring from M'ser's battleship.

Fox tightened his grip on the controls slightly, reflexively focusing for the battle ahead. He was eager to get out there and show those wannabes how a real pilot flew in combat. Taylor must have sensed this, as well as Fox's other emotions, for at that moment, Taylor's voice trickled in over the comm. "F... F... Fox... ...amn commlink. I'll have to have somebody check that after this is over. Fox, can you hear me?"

"Loud and--well, not so clear, but I can hear you," Fox said, smiling slightly.

"Well, you should be able to at least catch the gist of what I want to tell you," Taylor said. "I want you to lead the wing, Fox. You have the most riding on the outcome of this battle."

A smile curved Fox's muzzle. Taylor wasn't that different from him. 'If the roles were reversed, I'd probably be doing the same thing he is right now,' Fox thought. "All right, then," Fox replied. Pressing a few buttons on his HUD, he opened a channel to the rest of the fighter wing. "This is Fox McCloud," he stated, now totally focused on the task at hand. Falco called it being "in the zone."

"I will be commanding you during this battle. I don't have a prepared morale speech to give you, but I'll say what I always say before my team takes off. Stick with your wingman, keep your blasters charged, and never give in!"

Whoops, cheers, and shouts flooded the commlink. "We launch on my mark!" Fox called. "Three...two...one...MARK!" The fighter wing blazed out of the hangar bay, soaring into battle against their adversaries.


	16. Chapter XVI: Space Aces

From his view on the bridge of the great battleship, M'ser watched the fighters of the Altairian Alliance stream out of the hangar bay of the opposing vessel. 'Fools!' he thought. 'They don't stand a chance against me! Not even Taylor does, now--' he suddenly froze, all senses on alert.

'He is fighting with them?' M'ser wondered. 'He must think he can stop me. The impudent child!'

"I'riin!" M'ser barked.

A Reshetell commander rose from his chair and walked over to stand in front of his lord. "Yes, Great One?" he rumbled in his bass voice.

"Take command of the ship. I will be joining the wing in this battle."

I'riin bowed. "Yes, my lord. As you wish."

M'ser nodded curtly, then, with a flourish of his cloak, swept out of the bridge.

--

Fox did a quick barrel roll, flicking open the wings of his Arwing and powering up his G-Diffusers. His teammates adeptly followed suit, forming up behind Fox in their characteristic diamond formation. McCloud looked behind him, and could see the cannons of the _Cat's Eye_ dueling with the guns of the enemy cruiser, and, in the distance in front of him, Fox could see enemy fighters swarming near the other cruiser.

Taylor's voice crackled through the comm. "Fox, you ready for this?"

"Yeah, Taylor. Let's do this!" Fox replied in his trademark fashion. Fox scanned the fighters assembling behind him; doing some quick mental math, he counted seventy-six fighters; with the four Arwings, that made eighty. "All right, guys," Fox said, "Separate into eight groups of ten; that'll make things a little easier to manage. Falco, Peppy, Slippy, and Taylor, Jacen, Jeresh, and Star, you lead the other wings." Affirmatives flickered in over the comm, and instantly, fighters began arranging themselves into wings. 'Not so different from the Cornerian Air Force,' Fox thought with a slight smile.

"Are you ready for this, Fox?" Taylor asked, his voice crackling in through the comm.

Fox gave a short bark of laughter. "No, but do we really have a choice?"

Taylor shrugged. "You're right," he said with a slight smile.

"I'm with you, Taylor," Fox said.

Taylor nodded, a look of determination fixing itself on his face. "And I got your back, Fox."

"All right, guys!" Fox called over the comm. "It's time to go!" Whoops and cheers poured in over the comm, then eighty space fighters powered up their engines, soaring ahead to meet their adversaries.

--

M'ser did a rolling high yo-yo, jetting to the front of the line of fighters. "Reshetell!" he roared over the comm.

"My lord, we serve you!" said hundreds of Reshetell at once.

"Good. Hear me well," M'ser began, then suddenly his eyes acquired a look that one could almost call heartfelt. Almost. 'The Reshetell have been good warriors,' M'ser thought. 'But not all of them will come back after this battle.' The look passed, and M'ser's crimson eyes reacquired their ruthless stare. A sneer curved his lips as he addressed his underlings. "My warriors, how do we deal with our enemies?" he asked.

"Crush _all_ resistance!" was the unison reply.

"As it has been, so it shall be!" M'ser responded. "Let us fly!" As one, M'ser's space force powered up their engines and raced forward into battle.


	17. Chapter XVII: Not Out of the Woods Yet

The two massive wings of fighters met and clashed, similar to how land-based armies of old would. The fighter groups each arced away from the other, then smaller groups broke off from the main formations to engage in dogfights. Fox barrel rolled in behind an enemy fighter, and, with a few rapid-fire shots, sent him spiraling down in flames. "Nice shot, Fox!" Falco hooted.

Fox smiled grimly. "Thanks, Falco," he replied automatically. 'Whoever's behind this has to know what we're doing. He's just trying to waste our time..." Fox growled ferally, and locked on to a formation of fighters, sending them all down with a charged laser shot.

"Fox, get this guy off of me!" Slippy cried.

"On it," Fox replied, and hauled his fighter up and over, diving down on Slippy and the Sabrestrike fighter. "You're dust," Fox muttered, blasting the fighter.

"Thanks, Fox," Slippy sighed. "I thought I was a goner."

"You watch your back out here, Slip," Fox said.

"Will do, Fox," Slippy replied, then looped away in pursuit of more enemy fighters.

"Jacen, keep with me," Taylor ordered. "We're gonna give M'ser a wake-up call."

"Right with ya, boss," Jacen replied. Moving as one, the two Thundersabres jetted through the main fray, headed for M'ser's battleship. "Load the LightWing missiles," Taylor said. From fold-away bays in the wings of his fighter, two pylons extended, each carrying six missiles.

"Get ready, Jace," Taylor said. As the two fighters came in range of the huge cruiser, its guns came to life, showering them with a hail of laser fire. "Boost your shields!" Taylor ordered. Taylor used his own psionic energies to boost the shields of his fighter, as Jacen did the same. Arcing across the side of the battleship, Taylor and Jacen unleashed a swarm of missiles at their target, then jetted back into the swarm of fighters. "That oughta keep his hangars closed for a while," Jacen grinned.

"Keep off my brother!" Star growled, incinerating a fighter with a homing missile.

"Thanks, sis," Jeresh smiled.

"No problem," Star replied. "I think--" Star suddenly winced, causing Jeresh to regard her with concern.

"What's goin on, sis?"

"It's Krystal...her condition is worsening. We don't have much time," Star replied grimly.

"Then let's finish these guys off and get out of here!" Jeresh said. Soaring over to hover beside Star, he smiled. "Let's do this."

Suddenly, Star heard a shriek over the comm. "Going down!" a female voice screamed.

"She'naí!" Star cried. "Eject! Eject!"

"Ejecting--" She'naí said, then a dull _boom_ could be heard over the comm, followed by silence.

Star pounded her fists into the console. "Dammit!" she cried, tears forming in her eyes. She hung her head. "She'naí was--a good friend," Star mumbled.

Jeresh telepathically reached out into his sister's mind. 'Shh, shh, sis,' he whispered. 'She was a good pilot,' he murmured.

Star nodded, wiping tears from her eyes. 'Does it ever get easier?' she wondered.

'You hope that it doesn't,' Jeresh replied.

Falco looped and rolled, but no matter what he did, his pursuer stayed right with him, getting shots off that he could. Falco spun hard, triggering his G-Diffuser, watching with satisfaction as the laser fire bounced off the field. "Counter that, loser!" Falco hooted.

Suddenly, Falco watched in shock as the Sabrestrike fired a pair of missiles his way. "Oh, crap..." Falco groaned. "G-Diffuser can't deflect that." Falco shoved his throttle all the way forward, but the missiles slowly kept gaining on him.

As the missiles seemed to be about to reach their target, a glowing white field enveloped them, then collapsed in on itself, exploding the missiles harmlessly in space. "Whoa..." Falco breathed. "Thanks for the assist, Taylor," he said.

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "What? I didn't do anything. I'm too far away from you to use any sort of effective psionics," he said.

Falco blinked. "What? Then who--?"

"I uh...I think that it might have been me," Fox said meekly.

"Really?"

"I just saw those missiles homing in on you, and knew that I couldn't let them hit you, no matter what. I just held out my hand, and then that forcefield appeared."

Falco grinned. "Well, thanks for the save, buddy. I owe you big time."

Fox managed a nervous smile. That was the second time he had accidentally triggered his powers. He hoped he wouldn't pass out in his cockpit. "Th-thanks, Falco," he replied.

'Ahh...there you are, little reynard,' M'ser smirked when he saw the white flash. 'You may have saved your friend, but who will save you?' M'ser dove down in a low rolling yo-yo, jetting up underneath Fox.

Fox shook as his fighter was rattled by energy blasts. "What the--?" His eyes narrowed as he fixed on the offender. "You..." he murmured. Powering up his fighter, he soared after the fighter.

Taylor tilted his head, watching from the edge of the battlefield as Fox soared off. "What's he--oh shit!" Taylor floored his throttle, racing off after Fox. "Jacen! Stay here; protect Krystal. If anything happens to me, get them back to Altair! That's an order!"

"All right," Jacen replied.

"Come on, Fox, slow down," Taylor muttered as he raced after Fox and M'ser. "Fox! I'm coming to help!" Taylor called.

"What? You're joking, right? Why would I need your help? It's just another one of the commander's ships...I've shot down one already...sure they're tough, but not indestructible."

"That's not just a commander, Fox," Taylor said. "That's M'ser! The leader of the Vrellian Allegiance."

"So he's like you," Fox said.

"A dark version of me, yes," Taylor replied.

Fox nodded grimly. "He's the one backing Adek, isn't he?'

"Yeah, he is," Taylor replied.

"Then he's gonna pay!" Fox growled. He pressed a button on the side of his throttle and the Arwing shot ahead, using its boosters to gain on M'ser.

Taylor floored the throttle of the Thundersabre, racing after Fox.

'That's it,' M'ser purred. 'Keep coming...just a little bit closer now.'

'Why is M'ser running?' Taylor wondered. 'It's not like him at--' he looked into the distance, and saw just what M'ser was heading for. "Oh shit! Fox, get out of there!" Taylor roared.

'Too late,' M'ser sneered. Suddenly, all three fighters were enveloped in a white glow.


	18. Chapter XVIII: Reunion

Taylor groaned softly, slowly opening his eyes. "Dammit," he muttered. "I can't believe I fell for that setup. M'ser only caught me with this once…" He shook his head to clear it, then quickly squeezed his eyes shut. "Ooh…bad idea. There was a lot of allerium in that beam, I guess, if I'm still groggy."

Taylor tried to sit up, but was jerked to a stop after he had risen only a few inches from his position. He strained to look at the bonds holding him down, and caught a flash of green and gold out of the corner of his eye. He fell back onto the table with a dull thud. He swore in Altairian. 'Collathium.' Without the benefits given him by his Crystal, there was no way he was going to break the collathium bonds. Taylor sighed and resumed his staring match with the ceiling, waiting for…whatever fate was to befall him.

--

Fox looked around, soon realizing that he was strapped to a table in the center of a roughly 3 meter by 3 meter cell: completely featureless, save for the narrow shaft of light that filtered in through a crack in the door; providing dim illumination. The allerium beam hadn't had as strong an effect on Fox as it had had on Taylor; the result being that Fox was more alert, and that he hadn't stayed fully unconscious for the entirety of his capture. He had given his captors some trouble. Fox chuckled as he remembered the dent he had left in one of the creature's facemasks. However, his slight smirk soon turned into a grimace. 'It doesn't matter how tough I am, though, as long as I'm stuck here.' Fox exhaled mightily and closed his eyes, resigning himself to wait for whatever was going to happen to him next. Fox gasped and shot up—as far as his bonds would let him—when he suddenly heard Krystal's voice in his mind.

'Fox, help me,' she pleaded weakly. 'I—I'm dying, Fox…'

"No! Krystal!" Fox cried. "Rrgh! No more delays!" He didn't care what it took…he was getting out of here! Fox flexed his arms with all his strength; he could hear the metal bonds groaning as they resisted. "Come—on!" Fox grunted. He pulled on a last reserve of power, and, with a snap, the cuffs holding his arms shattered, and he was free. He sat up into a sitting position and pried the cuffs off of his ankles. Fox frowned, scratching his headfur confusedly. 'Steel shouldn't have shattered like this…' he thought. He picked up a piece of one of the rings of metal, and gasped softly. 'This is collathium!' Fox thought. 'No…way. I just shattered collathium with my bare hands?' Fox whistled softly. 'My powers really are something else…maybe they can help me save Krystal.' With resolve, Fox stood and walked over to the door of his cell. 'This looks pretty thick,' he thought, 'But…if I shattered collathium, then, maybe I can get out of here.' Fox clenched his fist, taking a few deep breaths. He knew if this didn't work, he'd be in for a world of pain. But he couldn't sit here any longer. He drew his hand back in a punch, then—the door suddenly opened, and Fox stared right into the facemask of a Venmar warrior. Fox's hand flew out in a knife strike, aiming for the Venmar's neck, but the creature was just as fast, and it blocked his strike and shoved him back. Fox readied another strike, but was nearly knocked off balance as the Venmar spoke. "Wait, my son," it said.

"Wh—what?" Fox gasped, his eyes as wide as saucers. He shook his head, unwilling to believe what this—thing had said. But it sounded like James…Fox shook his head again, almost expecting to wake up from some sort of dream; but nothing changed; the Venmar still stood there.

The being pulled off its helmet, and, standing before Fox, was indeed the sunglasses-clad visage of his father. "My son," James said, with a sort of sad smile on his face. "I'm so sorry for leaving you for all these years…"

Fox gasped, torn between running to embrace his father and doubt that this was even real. "H—how did you get out of the—alternate dimension thing you were trapped in?" Fox stammered.

James frowned slightly. "Honestly…I don't know," he said. "I remember hearing this voice…it said 'Your son needs your help…you are being sent back.' Then I remember seeing this bright flash of light, and then next thing I saw was this battleship." James chuckled softly. "I knocked out the thing that was wearing this uniform and used it as a disguise…then, with some work, I found you."

Fox was aching to believe the story, but he had to know for sure. He knew that only the real James McCloud would know the full details and that nothing else would…he had blocked the memory so deep within his mind…

Fox steeled himself. "H—how did Mother die?" he asked, his voice shaking a little.

A single tear slid down James' cheek. "She was killed by a car bomb…meant for me…Andross loved her and wanted me out of the way…"

He seemed to be about to continue, but Fox held a hand up. "Enough. I won't make you relive any more of it. I'm sorry to ask you that…but it was the only way I could be sure."

James nodded, a very small smile quirking his muzzle. "I would have done the same thing, Fox."

Fox returned the half-smile, lightly laying a hand on his father's shoulder. "Dad…it's good to see you…" he murmured, his eyes shimmering with tears.

James nodded. "Same to you, my son."

There was a sudden exclamation from some distance down the hall, then the sound of running footsteps rapidly approached Fox and James. James smirked slightly. "Sounds like those things found their buddy," he said. "And soon they'll find us…"

Fox nodded. "Yep," he said, his hand automatically going to his staff.

In one fluid motion, James had drawn his blaster and dropped into a crouch, weapon trained on the intersection which the Venmar soon would be entering. He glanced over at Fox. "You ready?" he asked.

"Let's do this!" Fox replied.


End file.
